The creators of “It: Welcome to Derry” promise new transformations of Pennywise: “It’s a different animal”

HBO Max is about to debut a new horror series IT: Welcome to Derrya new part of the saga, launched in 2017 with the aim of adapting the legendary novel Stephen King. But after two films, now his director and production company, Andy Muschietti And Barbara Muschiettithey take history back into the past. The series will be a prequel to the films and will tell about the unanswered dilemmas and the very origin of the terrible events. Pennywise.

Story IT: Welcome to Derry The story takes place in 1962 and takes viewers back to a time very close to that of the original novel. King. However, Andy And Barbara Muschietti They tell a different story. Based on interludes from the book itself, they create a completely new plot in which the monster attacks Derry again. A terrifying fable that will make new connections to the films, as well as expand the fictional universe with completely original ideas.

At Hipertextual we had the opportunity to talk about the series with Andy And Barbara Muschietti during his visit to the Sitges Festival to present IT: Welcome to Derry. We are glad to release the third part of the saga ELEMENTthe creators of the project revealed to us several of their secrets. Among them, for example, is that there will be more incarnations in the series ELEMENT except the clown Pennywise. “The incarnations that he brings to life, based on the fears of the time, are different: radiation, nuclear attack, deformities, mutant creatures…” they tell us.

We were also able to discuss Stephen King’s advisory role in the creation of IT. “King He reads everything that is written because he obviously follows all the work, right? And it’s great because sometimes I’ve had reactions from fans. “It’s so good, I liked it,” they note. Andy Muschietti And Barbara Muschietti. And we have to remember that while HBO has yet to greenlight a sequel, the plan is to produce three seasons of the series. IT: Welcome to Derry. “The story is told in reverse. The first season is in 1962, the second season is deliberately in 1935, which is the previous cycle of the series. ELEMENT. And in 1908 the final game will take place, which will be the last season,” they explain.

Real plan IT: Welcome to Derry

IT: Welcome to Derry This is a prequel to your two films. You are based on the interludes written by Stephen King in the novel, but you add original material to the work. Did you talk to him about what the red lines were in this story, what elements were sacred?

AM – From the very beginning, the goal was to fill the gaps. Stephen KingIn his book, he presents an unfinished mystery. And this is intentional. Part of that great feeling after reading a book is that, at the end of the day, you don’t know anything about it. ELEMENT. This is a different animal. And from the very beginning what we offered King was that we were going to create a lot in their world. He obviously said, “Well, let’s see what the story is like.” So we told him the story little by little.

It’s a really fascinating story, it’s a hidden story. This is not the story that is presented in the book. Yes, there are riddles that have answers. But ultimately it is a great hidden story told backwards for a very specific reason. This is one of the greatest mysteries of the series and will be revealed later. Maybe there’s a kind of wink at the end of season one that tells you why we’re telling the story in reverse.

BM- But, King He reads everything that is written because he obviously follows all the work, right? Then he reads it, and it’s great because sometimes he had reactions from fans too. “It’s so good, I liked it.”

AM – He’s not a fan of us, he’s a fan of history. So yes, he keeps his distance and allows himself to be surprised. He is surprised by things that, I think, interest him at this point in his life. He has already written so much ELEMENT He wrote it so long ago that he has already matured and surpassed it. He’s not very interested in being asked questions about his book, but he really enjoys being surprised by these new creations in his field.

BM- But he continues to write new things. That’s what feeds him.

AM – Yes. And to clarify, when I said the story is told in reverse. This is the story that the first season is 1962, the second season is intentionally 1935, which is the previous cycle of the series. ELEMENT. And in 1908 the final game will take place, which will become the final season.

As you said, the book ELEMENT raises questions, butWelcome to Derry are you going to answer them? Or are you going to collect more?

AM – The goal of the game is to keep this flame of mystery alive. At the same time, as we put together some of the pieces of the book’s puzzle, we create other mysteries. The idea is to keep viewers feeling suspense, mystery and tension until the end of the third season. It’s true that we had a great first season with this creation. And nothing, in the end we are very happy to get to the end.

Pennywise, the greatest monster

What makes a monster like Pennywise so special? What makes him a cultural icon?

BM- This is a werewolf PennywiseNo? And he belongs to that type of individual that lives on fear. This is what motivates him. It’s horrible. And a lot of modern politicians do the same thing, right? So this is a very relevant and real monster.

AM – Yes, use fear as a weapon, use your worst fear, and it is very bad.

BM- Because it’s unpredictable in that sense. Use your subconscious. So yes, it is very dangerous. Pennywise.

AM – It also divides people, you know? This is one of their working methods. Not only does he become your worst fear, but he also divides people and confronts them, as he does every time he encounters a group of boys. The first thing he does is separate them and then attack them individually.

In IT: Welcome to Derry you not only have a monster that is still present, but you also take it back to the 60s. It was a time of various fears: the terror of the Cold War and a possible nuclear attack. It is also very close to the original period of the novel. What did this era give you on a creative level?

AM – As you say, on the one hand, it is much closer to the original period of the book, which was 1958. Stephen King. Everything he writes in ELEMENT These are experiences from his childhood. There’s a lot of texture here, some of the characters look like boys he knew…

And then, on top of that, the Cold War began, a period when the fears were different. Incarnations that Pennywise tools based on the fears of that time are different: radiation, nuclear attack, developmental defects, mutant creatures… Not only from the imagination of children, but also fueled by films of that time, in which there was always something radioactive. This creates a wonderful world of possibilities for the creation of new embodiments and beings.