Horror Series ‘Welcome to Derry’ Resumes Filming at MAX [Exclusive]

The prequel to the horror film "It" officially resumed filming this Monday (February 12) in Toronto, Canada, after a break of six months. The MAX (HBO Max) original series ‘Welcome to Derry’ is expected to take five more months to complete the production.

The show began filming in May last year but was halted indefinitely in July after SAG-AFTRA strikes began. The show has reportedly completed filming the pilot episode which is directed by Andy Muschietti. The new episode which started filming this Monday will be directed by Andrew Bernstein, whose directing credits include Ozark, Foundation, The Nevers, The Diplomat, The Umbrella Academy, Castle Rock, and more. The series will be filming till the end of July and is currently expected to wrap on July 26, 2024.

The series, which comes from Warner Bros. Television is developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs, and will serve as a prequel to the blockbuster “IT” films. ‘Welcome to Derry’ was previously expected to premiere in 2024, but due to production delays, now it will be released sometime in 2025 on HBO's MAX.

The cast of the series includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Madeleine Stowe, Chris Chalk, Chad Rook, James Remar, and Stephen Rider. The characters these actors will be portraying have been kept under wraps. Bill Skarsgård is also rumored to reprise the leading role of Pennywise the Clown.

Set in the 1960s, Welcome to Derry will reportedly follow four kids in a town bordering an Air Force base with a mysterious "Special Projects" bunker, who search for a friend of theirs who disappeared mysteriously. The story centers on the origin story of Pennywise the Clown from the hit horror movie duology, "It" and It: Part Two.

Set in the world of Stephen King’s “IT” universe, the 10-episode series is based on King’s “IT” novel and expands the vision established by Andy Muschietti in the feature films “IT” and “IT Chapter Two.”

WELCOME TO DERRY is produced by Max and Warner Bros. Television. Jason Fuchs has written the teleplay for the first episode, based on a story by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Fuchs. Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane will serve as co-showrunners on the series. Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti for Double Dream production company, Fuchs, and Kane will serve as executive producers. Shelley Meals, Roy Lee, and Dan Lin also executive produce.

"It" and "It: Part Two" collectively grossed over $1.1 billion at the global box office, with the second film taking place 27 years after the events of the first film with a new adult cast taking over from the kids in part one. “It” was previously adapted into a two-part miniseries in 1990 for ABC, featuring Tim Curry’s iconic performance as Pennywise.