Get ready to travel back to Derry. According to Variety, HBO Max and Warner Bros. have announced the development of an It prequel series, titled Welcome to Derry. Andy Muschietti, the director of the two films in 2017 and 2019, will return to executive produce the series, alongside his sister Barbara Muschietti. Jason Fuchs will also return to the Stephen King material as both writer and executive producer, with the series expected to include the origins of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgård).
Aside from Pennywise's origin, the series is expected to cover the history of the town in the 1960s leading up to the events of It: Part One. It's not clear if any of the cast will return. Skarsgård would be the most likely, and it will be interesting to see how Muschietti and company adapt the material from both the films and King's original novel. If Warner Bros. picks up the series, Muschietti is expected to direct the pilot episode. The writers' room for the program is currently open.
The It films collectively grossed $1.1 billion worldwide, though there was a brief dip in critical quality from Part One to Part Two. Most critics attributed this to the second film's bloated runtime (169 minutes), in addition to its need to cover some of the more obscure aspects of King's work. Yet its box office total is still impressive, and a series could be a very strong and thoughtful way in which to adapt King's dense novel, given the expanded format of the medium.
Welcome to Derry is far from the last series coming to HBO Max based on popular IP. There is of course the series about Penguin from Matt Reeves's The Batman, which will see Colin Farrell return as gangster Oswald Cobblepot. There is also a series that will delve deeper into the recesses of Arkham Asylum, which Reeves is also involved in. Additionally, there is a show set in the Dune universe that will delve into the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, and animated projects based on Scooby Doo's Velma (starring Mindy Kaling) and a Gremlins series titled Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
There is no intended release date when audiences can expect to float (or, watch) Welcome to Derry.