There is no questioning that the most popular story set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine is IT, but any of Stephen King’s committed Constant Readers will tell you that it’s definitely not the author’s only book set in that terrible, dark place. While it doesn’t exist in literature on the same level as Castle Rock, there are a number of other novels and stories that either take place in the dark city or at least visit – with titles including 11.22.63, Insomnia, Dreamcatcher, Bag Of Bones, and even The Running Man. Needless to say, the world that King builds is expansive… and it makes one wonder how that reality will be represented in the new HBO series IT: Welcome To Derry.
For that question, showrunners Brad Caleb Kane and Jason Fuchs have an answer. I spoke with the duo earlier this month during the virtual press day for the upcoming Stephen King series, and one topic I asked about was Derry’s considerable representation in the author’s works. The show is principally focused on the story from IT, and the presence of Dick Halloran means that both The Shining and Doctor Sleep are in play, but what about all of those other titles I mentioned above? Kane responded:
It's a very good question. 11.22.63 didn't come up, but Insomnia did come up, and we did talk about weaving elements of Insomnia into the fabric of the series. I don't want to say whether elements of it did or did not make this season, but we were really not looking to make a full easter egg season. You know, we wanted to make a complete season with new characters that you come to care about.
For those who aren’t familiar with Insomnia, it’s not regarded as one of Stephen King’s best books, but it is the second most substantial Derry story in the King canon. Without explaining too much or digging too deeply into spoilers, the novel features a protagonist who finds a growing sleeplessness problem transform into the ability to see elements of reality beyond normal human perception. It unwittingly leads him into becoming a key plot involving the forces of fate and an agent who must do everything he can to stop a horrible terrorist attack.
So if anything reminiscent of that ends up a part of IT: Welcome To Derry’s first season, you’ll know where it’s from.
Kane continued, adding that it was really important that the show not simply be an assembly of easter eggs and tie-ins that distract from the story that he and his fellow writers wanted to tell… but he also added that there are a great number of details and references that fans should be looking for. He added:
That's not to say that easter eggs don't abound, and it isn't about the Hanlon family, and it doesn't exist in context of the canon of the movies and the themes of the book, but it exists in and of itself this season.
Adding to his co-showrunner’s comments, Jason Fuchs noted that it won’t just be books set in Derry represented on the show. It would seem that the full Stephen King canon is fair game, and he name-dropped one title that I definitely didn’t expect to be invoked:
There are Easter eggs abound. I think there's stuff in virtually every episode. I think my favorite one without saying what it is and, and I think a lot of people will miss it: there is a Firestarter related easter egg deep in the season that's 'blink and you miss it.' But I think that's one of my favorite buried ones.
Firestarter is an unexpected mention because it’s one of early King novels that doesn’t actually take place in Maine, as the story instead travels around states including Ohio, New York, Vermont, and Virginia. I will be very curious to see how IT: Welcome To Derry finds a way to reference the tale of young pyrokinetic Charlie McGee and the sinister government agency known as The Shop.
But then Brad Caleb Kane really flexed his Stephen King fan muscles and brought into the conversation the author’s magnum opus: The Dark Tower. It has been confirmed that the show will be digging into the origins of IT a.k.a. Pennywise, and the co-showrunner’s comments make me wonder if that part of the journey will let audiences experience a taste of Mid-World. He added,
I am a diehard, you know. I am a Constant Reader of Uncle Stevie. We both are. And I'm a Dark Tower fan. And you know, if you hear a 'Thankee-sai' in there somewhere in the season, you will know who to blame – and you will.
The wait ends tonight. After years of development (first announced in early 2022 as a HBO Max series), IT: Welcome To Derry will be making its world premiere tonight on HBO – with the pilot set to simultaneously debut for HBO Max subscribers. After you watch, make sure to head back here to CinemaBlend, as we’ll have a feature live for you examining all of the various Stephen King easter eggs and references.
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