According to The Hollywood Reporter, filmmakers Andy Muschietti (It, The Flash) and Barbara Muschietti (Mama, Locke & Key) have opened up about the shocking ending of HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry premiere, which left viewers stunned after multiple young characters met unexpected fates.

As stated by The Hollywood Reporter, the series, serving as a prequel to the It films based on Stephen King’s (The Shining, Carrie) iconic horror novel, introduced a new group of children who were seemingly positioned as the central figures for the season. However, in a surprising turn, several were apparently killed during a chaotic movie theater sequence that concluded the first episode.

Muschietti noted that introducing such a dramatic moment early on was a deliberate creative choice. “You want to create an event that gives the audience a sense that if these kids were smoked at the end of the first episode, nothing is sacred,” Muschietti told The Hollywood Reporter. “In this world, no one will be safe.”

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Muschietti added that after directing two It feature films, the team wanted to shift direction and surprise longtime fans. “We did two movies already,” Muschietti said. “We really wanted to create a subversion to get people excited. It has to do with raising the volume a little in terms of intensity and spectacle.”

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the episode’s opening scene also drew attention, centering on Matty, played by Jack Molloy Legault (Ghostwriter, Three Pines), who meets a tragic end in a moment that blends psychological horror with supernatural imagery. When asked to explain what was truly happening in that sequence, Muschietti chose not to give a clear answer, stating, “Answering that question would somehow kill the magic… It exists because the kids believe what they see. So it’s a feedback between believing in something that you see and creating something that you believe.”

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the series also stars Matilda Legault (Three Pines), Clara Stack (Hawkeye), and Mikkal Karim-Fidler (The Secret Society). While Pennywise does not appear in the premiere, the Muschiettis confirmed that the infamous clown will make his presence known later in the season. “We did ‘less is more’ for half the show, but then we did ‘more is more,’” Andy Muschietti added. “When and where the clown is going to appear was a game that I wanted to play with the audience.”

It: Welcome to Derry continues airing Sundays on HBO and is expected to explore the origins of Derry’s curse while expanding the mythology established in the It films.