Back in March, Stephen King fans were given warrant to be excited with the news that an IT prequel series titled Welcome To Derry was in development for HBO Max. Unfortunately, chatter about the project has been minimal since then... and that silence was particularly worrisome because of behind-the-scenes chaos this summer involving the subscription streaming service. Now, however, we finally have a significant update about the project, as it has been reported that it is moving forward with a new pair of showrunners.
According to Variety, Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane have been hired to guide the vision of Welcome To Derry as the series moves further into development. At this time it is not entirely clear what we can expect from the show as far as plot, but the trade confirms that it will be in continuity with the hit films IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two (Andy Muschietti, who directed both of those movies, is on board as a producer along with his producing partner/sister, Barbara Muschietti).
Fuchs – an actor-cum-writer who plays "Richie's Manager" in IT: Chapter Two and was also a co-producer – has already written the first episode based on a story that he developed along with the Muschiettis. The new report also adds that Andy Muschietti may direct the series premiere, but it seems that the deal to make that happen hasn't been signed just yet.
It was previously reported that Welcome To Derry is going to be set in the 1960s and the plotting would lead up to the events of 1988/1989 featured in IT: Chapter One, but the latest update doesn't mention if that's still the plan.
Jason Fuchs, who made his acting debut in 1996's Flipper movie with Elijah Wood, has an established history with Warner Bros., having penned the screenplays for Joe Wright's Pan starring Hugh Jackman and Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman. In 2018, he wrote the script for I Still See You starring Bella Thorne (an adaptation of the Daniel Waters novel Break My Heart One Thousand Times). Most recently he has been working on director Matthew Vaughn's Argylle, based on the Elly Conway book of the same name.
Welcome To Derry will mark the first time that Fuchs has worked with Brad Caleb Kane, who is a TV veteran at this point in his career – with producing and writing critics on shows including Fringe, Black Sails, Warrior, Moonhaven, and Tokyo Vice.
What sadly remains unclear at this point is when the gears will really start to turn on Welcome To Derry, but this is certainly excellent news all by itself – if not only because it confirms that the show is still in the works.
To keep track of all the Stephen King projects that are currently in various stages of development, read our Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV guide, and for a deep dive into the long history of existing projects, check out my weekly Adapting Stephen King column. For a break down of the best of the best, you'll want to head over to our Stephen King Movies, Ranked feature.
