HBO’s ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Expands stephen King Universe with New Characters and Familiar Faces
The chilling world of Derry,Maine,is set to return to screens with HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry,a prequel series delving into the origins of Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the town’s dark history. Premiering October 26, the series promises to expand upon the established lore, introducing a host of new characters alongside a reimagining of a beloved figure from Stephen King’s wider universe.
Ann, the psychically gifted character memorably portrayed in The Shining. Chris Chalk (The Newsroom, Shining Girls) takes on the role in It: Welcome to Derry, offering a fresh perspective on a character steeped in cinematic history. Chalk acknowledges the weight of the legacy established by Scatman Crothers, Carl lumbly, and Melvin Van Peebles, but emphasizes his intention to forge his own interpretation.
“If we were doing Stanley kubrick’s The Shining in 2025, then I’m going to study that performance in a different way,” Chalk explained. “But all I have to do is see who he is now and break him down backwards to who he was in an earlier time, and then it becomes about creative freedom and the text.”
This younger Hallorann is depicted as an airman stationed at a nearby Air Force base, where his unique abilities are exploited by General Shaw (James Remar) within a secretive “Special Projects” area. According to Chalk, Hallorann’s participation in the mission comes at a significant personal cost. “I think the fact that Dick is even participating in this [mission] is proof that he’ll do anything to not be trapped,” he saeid.”He has to essentially assault himself and reopen trauma and reopen trauma and reopen trauma.”
New Faces and Complex Backstories
Beyond hallorann, It: Welcome to Derry introduces several original characters grappling with the undercurrents of 1960s America. Hank Grogan, played by Stephen Rider (Daredevil, Luke Cage), is a single father and projectionist whose life becomes entangled in the town’s unfolding drama.Rider emphasized the importance of establishing a strong internal life for his character, rooted in the past context of the era.
“The fact that it’s the 1960s and he grew up in the 1920s and 1930s and where his parents came from, in terms of even slavery-it’s a lot to draw on,” Rider stated. “Backstories are tricky because they can become very fantastical. So I had to make sure it served Hank, not just Stephen’s fantastical world.”
Another new addition is Major Leroy Hanlon,portrayed by Jovan Adepo (3 Body Problem,The Leftovers),a man uniquely devoid of fear due to a brain injury. His wife, Charlotte Hanlon (Taylour Paige, The Toxic Avenger), is a civil rights activist whose outspoken nature clashes with her husband’s desire for professional advancement. Paige described Charlotte as “bursting at the seams,” frustrated by the limitations placed upon her in a society that devalues her contributions.
“I think Charlotte knows her husband’s heart is in the right place, but she’s also confronting [him about] defending a country [that hasn’t given us anything back],” Paige explained. “So [part of their marriage is] kind of understanding [that] this is our lives as Black people in 1962 and what possibility means and how to kind of climb out of what you were born with.”
It: Welcome to Derry promises a chilling exploration of fear,trauma,and the dark underbelly of small-town America,expanding the Stephen King universe in compelling and unsettling ways.
