IT Director Explains How His Plans For A Supercut Co-Exist With Future Seasons Of Welcome To Derry

Because of weird inside reasons, IT: Welcome To Derry hasn't gotten the official green light for a Season 2 from HBO yet, but that's not stopping work from getting underway. There is a big picture vision for the show, with seasons that travel further back in the canon's timeline, and while we don't know when production will begin on future episodes or when they will premiere, wheels are turning, filmmakers are planning, and writers are writing. And that's not the only current goings on when it comes to the world of IT either, as director Andy Muschietti is also still making promises about his planned IT: Chapter One and Chapter Two supercut.

The filmmakers most recent comments about the blockbuster Stephen King project leads this week's edition of The King Beat, but there is actually a plethora of other developments to highlight as well – including an in-depth interview with Wil Wheaton about "The Body" and Stand By Me; comments from Heather Graham about Mike Flanagan's upcoming Carrie miniseries; and a warning that one of the best Stephen King movies of all time is about to leave Netflix. This is a packed column, so let's dig in!

Andy Muschietti Doubles Down On Supercut Promises Even While Welcome To Derry Takes Precedence

The IT franchise is presently in a very good place. The reason why work is continuing on IT: Welcome To Derry without a renewal is because all of the success experienced at the end of 2025 speaks for itself: the show got a very positive reaction from both critics and fans alike, and ratings only grew during Season 1's eight-episode run, with the finale being the biggest hit. There exists plenty of juice for the brand to try some big swings, and Andy Muschietti is very aware of that fact – but for now, the filmmaker is opting to stay laser focused on the future of the show… instead of side projects like the IT supercut.

The filmmaker himself has multiple irons in the fire (as one example, he's a producer on the new action horror film They Will Kill You, which arrives in theater this Friday), but when it comes to IT, he recently told SlashFilm that Welcome To Derry has his sole focus for now. Said Muschietti,

Muschietti has been talking about making an IT supercut since before IT: Chapter Two was released, and on paper, the idea is pretty simple: instead of IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two being experienced as independent features, he intends to not only edit the existing films together, but to also add back in deleted material. All together, it will be a roughly six-and-a-half hour cinematic experience that properly reflects its epic Stephen King source material.

The big hold-up in making this cut a reality is that not all of the material needed exists: it will require some additional filming. Clearly Muschietti doesn't think it would be any kind of challenge to acquire a proper budget for the work, but there's apparently no time to schedule the work required amid work on IT: Welcome To Derry Season 2.

The danger here should be obvious: if the HBO series ends up petering out in future seasons and loses its audience, that would make it much harder for the director to get the money that he would need for the supercut. There's an argument to be made that he should strike while the proverbial iron is hot, but he clearly has a great deal of confidence in the future of IT: Welcome To Derry (Season 1 of which is available to stream now with a HBO Max subscription).

Stand By Me's Wil Wheaton Discusses His Favorite Scenes In Stephen King's "The Body"

This is a big week for Stand By Me fans. As of two days ago, Stephen King fans everywhere can now purchase and listen to the new audiobook of "The Body" narrated by Wil Wheaton, and starting tomorrow, you can also go to theaters to see the film adaptation on the big screen, as the Rob Reiner movie is getting a domestic re-release to celebrate its 40th anniversary. For some, that might be enough, but if you can't get enough of Stephen King's beloved coming-of-age tale, allow me to recommend a wonderful piece from The New York Times.

In celebration of the new audiobook, the newspaper has published a new multimedia feature centering on Wil Wheaton and his special relationship with "The Body" – which began in the mid-1980s when he was cast as Gordie LaChance in Stand By Me. The interview, featuring film clips and audio excerpts, digs into the actor's favorite scenes from the story, memories from set, and mourns the tragic loss of the adaptation's director.

It's a quick, fun read that is entertaining to explore and insightful about a literary and cinematic masterwork.

Heather Graham Discusses Her Role In Mike Flanagan's Carrie And How It Updates The Classic Stephen King Story

In Mike Flanagan's upcoming Carrie series, Heather Graham is joining the FlanaFamily in what should be a fascinating role – in part because it's one that has been created for the show. People familiar with the Stephen King book and the previous adaptations will remember the evil bully Chris Hargensen, and you may even remember her dad, who complains to the principal when she is barred from prom. One character we've never met is Chris' mom, but that will change with the latest take on King's seminal novel.

Graham has confirmed to Collider that she will be playing Mrs. Hargensen in Mike Flanagan's new series, and while she didn't offer much insight regarding how the character fits into the story in the interview, she did shed some light on how the new take on Carrie will stand apart from both the book and the three feature versions audiences have previously seen. She said,

Obviously even the concept of "cyberbullying" didn't exist when Stephen King wrote Carrie over a half-century ago, and it's not at all surprising that Mike Flanagan is working with a contemporary setting for the show – but Heather Graham's mention of "guns in school" is intriguing. In previously writing about the book and its adaptations, I've made the argument that Carrie White is essentially a supernatural school shooter, and I now wonder how that comparison might be significant in the show's vision.

We'll have to wait and see, as while Heather Graham may have seen the first three episodes of the show, it's been recently suggested by co-star Katee Sackhoff that the Carrie limited series won't be debuting until the fall.

Rob Reiner's Misery Is Leaving Netflix At The End Of The Month, So Watch It While You Can

I'll wrap up this week's King Beat by circling back to the subject of Rob Reiner-directed Stephen King movies. While Stand By Me is playing in theaters this weekend, opening it up to audiences who may never have seen it on the big screen, a particular window is closing for 1990's Misery. The Oscar-winning film is currently available to watch with a few clicks if you have a Netflix subscription, but that won't be the case for long as the brilliant thriller is leaving the library at the end of the month.

March 31 (this coming Tuesday) will be your last day to stream the brilliant classic, which stars James Caan as an author who finds himself the captive of his number one fan… who also happens to be totally out of her mind. Even if you've seen the movie a hundred times, it's worth screening again if not only to witness the genius that is Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes. And after you watch it, you can check out my piece about the history of both the movie and the novel it's based on.

And if you don't have time to watch Misery in the next few days or simply don't have Netflix, I have great news: it's still widely available to watch elsewhere as well… though you'll have to pay for it. In addition to digital rental and purchase options, Kino Lorber put out a 4K UHD edition in the last few years that is absolutely beautiful.

That brings us to the end of this edition of The King Beat, but there is always more to discuss about Stephen King, and I'll be back here on CinemaBlend next Thursday to highlight all of the most interesting stories that crop up about the author and his beloved work.