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HBO's 'It: Welcome to Derry' dives deep into the origins of Pennywise and the cursed town of Derry, Maine, expanding on the mythology first seen in the 'It' films.
While the new series offers plenty of fresh horrors and revelations, understanding its timeline and ties to the movies helps reveal how this prequel fits into Stephen King's larger universe.
'It: Welcome to Derry' Shows The Beginning of Pennywise Terror
The story unfolds in 1962, decades before the Losers Club's first encounter with the creature in the 2017 film. Fans will notice familiar echoes of the events to come, with the show laying the groundwork for the terror that later engulfs the town.
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Image Courtesy: IMDb
'It: Welcome to Derry' focuses on a previous cycle of Pennywise's killings—part of the monster's centuries-old pattern of awakening every 27 years to feed before returning to hibernation.
What 'It: Welcome to Derry' Explores?
In 'It: Chapter One,' Pennywise reemerges in 1989 to hunt Derry's children. The prequel explores an earlier chapter in this deadly timeline, revealing new victims, old secrets, and the roots of the evil that binds the town.
The series also introduces Leroy Hanlon, played by Jovan Adepo, a key figure in Derry's history and the ancestor of Mike Hanlon, one of the original Losers Club members from the films. Leroy's arrival in Derry with his family in 1962 is tied directly to the legacy that shapes Mike's fate decades later. In the movies, Mike's past and his family's connection to Derry's darkness become essential to understanding his role in defeating Pennywise.
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Image Courtesy: IMDb
Beyond the human stories, 'It: Welcome to Derry' expands on the origins of the monster itself. As revealed in 'It: Chapter Two,' Pennywise is not of this world—a cosmic being that crash-landed on Earth millions of years ago in what would become Derry.
Originating from a dimension known as the Macroverse (or Todash Space in The Dark Tower lore), the creature began preying on humans once settlers established the town in the 1700s.
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Image Courtesy: IMDb
By revisiting this earlier cycle of horror, HBO's prequel not only enriches Pennywise's mythology but also connects the dots between Stephen King's timeless horror saga and the cinematic universe it inspired.
