The past few years have seen several iconic Stephen King books adapted for both small and large screens, with most leaving fans yearning for more. This year alone, the likes of The Monkey from writer-director Oz Perkins and Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck have already hit theaters, but that’s not all, as there’s more scheduled to drop in the coming months. One such upcoming adaptation is the HBO Max series It: Welcome to Derry, based on King’s 1986 novel, which has no specific release date yet but is expected later this year.
While fans await a date, an older version also inspired by the same book is currently trending on the global streaming charts, as reported by FlixPatrol. That version is the 1990 It miniseries, starring Tim Curry as the infamous Pennywise, which has climbed its way to #5 on HBO Max’s Top 10 TV shows as of Thursday, July 10. Comprising two parts, the series was originally broadcast on ABC and proved to be a laudable success, becoming the network’s biggest hit of that year by attracting 30 million viewers for its two parts.
It was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen, and produced by Jim Green, Allen S. Epstein, Mark Bacino, and Matthew O’Connor. Some of the cast members besides Curry include Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Richard Masur, Annette O’Toole, Tim Reid, John Ritter, and Richard Thomas. Like the book, the psychological drama follows seven outcast kids known as The Losers’ Club as they fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.
‘Welcome to Derry’ Is Coming Soon!
Years after the 1990 It, two other adaptations of the eponymous book were created; the 2017 hit of the same name and its 2019 sequel, It Chapter Two. These two movies were directed by Andy Muschietti, who is developing the new TV adaptation with Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, both of whom were also involved in the It films.
As a prequel to the It movies, Welcome to Derry takes place before the events of the sequels while exploring the origins of Pennywise and the dark history of Derry, Maine. It comprises nine episodes starring Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, and Stephen Rider alongside Bill Skarsgård, who reprises his role as Pennywise from the films.
It (1990) is currently streaming on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more news about Welcome to Derry’s debut.
Source: FlixPatrol