HBO Max reportedly is developing an IT prequel show focused on Pennywise's origin story. Warner Bros. reimagined one of Stephen King's most iconic books in 2017 with the release of IT. The movie was directed by Andy Muschietti and starred a young cast, but the coming-of-age horror story proved to be a massive hit. IT earned rave reviews and made over $700 million worldwide. Unsurprisingly, Warner Bros. moved quickly to make IT Chapter Two, which brought back the younger cast but also focused on their older counterparts. Despite having James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and other recognizable actors attached, the sequel made $473M worldwide, a significant drop.
Following the release of IT Chapter Two, it was unclear what Warner Bros. could do with the franchise next. The Losers Club's story was over and IT Chapter Two ended with Pennywise's permanent defeat. Over the last few years, there has not been any talk of IT 3. This is partially due to Stephen King never writing a book sequel, leaving the studio without any source material to borrow from. However, that doesn't mean that the adventures in Derry involving Pennywise are over.
According to a new report from The Ankler, Warner Bros. and HBO Max are eyeing an IT prequel show. The series is tentatively titled Welcome to Derry and is expected to explore the origin of Pennywise the Clown, played by Bill Skarsgård in the IT movies, as well as the 27-year-long curse upon the town. It is not known if HBO Max has given the IT prequel show a green light. While The Ankler couldn't confirm the involvement of anyone from the movie franchise, Variety shared that Andy and Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs developed the story. The prequel is expected to take place in the 1960s, and a writer's room has been assembled to work off of Fuchs' script.
The possibility of HBO Max developing an IT prequel show focused on Pennywise's origin should not come as too big of a surprise. The two IT movies made over $1.1 billion combined at the box office, so it was only a matter of time before WB began looking for ways to revisit this world. Continuing the stories of any character involved in the Loser's Club doesn't make sense, but Pennywise's origin is rich with potential for more scares.
If HBO Max's IT prequel show does move forward, it is difficult to imagine Bill Skarsgård not being involved. His portrayal of Pennywise is one of the many reasons why the demonic clown was so terrifying. Unless WB plans to reboot the property and have this origin story not be connected to the movie franchise, audiences will expect to see Skarsgård back as Pennywise. Now that the IT prequel show's development has been revealed, it could only be a matter of time before more information on the project comes to light.
