It: Welcome to Derry will explore Pennywise’s origins through the infamous town, and creator Andy Muschietti says it was inspired by his own experiences living in a dictatorship.
The horror TV series takes place in 1962, 27 years before Muschietti’s first IT movie. It follows the previous cycle of the entity’s killing spree as children go missing and the townspeople deal with a growing number of disturbing incidents.
It: Welcome to Derry takes place within the Stephen King universe with references to Shawshank prison in the trailer, and a main character who is vital to The Shining.
Although the show deals with the supernatural, Muschietti says he was inspired by the dictatorship he lived under when he was younger.
Andy Muschietti says It: Welcome to Derry is even more relevant today
Muschietti took to the stage at a screening of It: Welcome to Derry in Los Angeles and explained that he and his sister, producer Barbara Muschietti, used their experiences of living under a dictatorship in Argentina to make the series.
“My sister and I grew up in a dictatorship, and guess what? It was f*cking horrible. Even when it was ended and finished we still could see the ripples and consequences of the suffering and the pain,” Deadline reported. “The dictatorship ended – they always do, and they always will. It ended badly.”
Argentina’s Dirty War took place between 1976 and 1983, when its military dictatorship systematically hunted and murdered political dissidents who disagreed with the regime.
In King’s story, Pennywise’s existence creates an isolated community within Derry, as whenever people leave and get far enough away from it, they forget most of their memories from living there – including if they crossed paths with It.
The townspeople who stay have become used to a constant cycle of peace and extreme violence, simply because that’s all they’ve ever known. Muschietti says this has only become more relatable in current society.
Muschietti went on to explain how King’s original story, which was published in 1986, is a metaphor of the way fear is weaponized around the world.
“When Stephen King wrote It, he was writing a masterpiece of horror and a coming of age story, but also it was a parable of fear mongering and the weaponizing of fear in the real world. That metaphor about fear mongering was very relevant when he wrote it, but somehow it seems much more relevant in the days that we’re living now.
“So that’s why I like to consider the show as a reminder that, if you believe in empathy and love, we can keep together and stand up against the violence and intimidation and cruelty that these f*cking clowns are bestowing upon us.”
Kirby Air Riders Direct With Director Masahiro Sakurai Set for This Week — Brace Yourself for 60 Minutes on the Upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive