A big surprise may be in the making for horror fans. According to IGN and The Ankler, the streaming service HBO Max is reportedly working on a prequel series to It. The title of the prequel series is rumored to be It: Welcome to Derry. As for now, the project has not been greenlit. But it was rumored that the “writer’s room is being/has been convened for the project.”

HBO Max is reportedly working on an It prequel series called It: Welcome to Derry. https://t.co/Q6ReCnCckT pic.twitter.com/3kWqYQs1s9

— IGN (@IGN) March 29, 2022

It has been one of the most iconic and successful horror stories. Based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel of the same name, It was turned into both movies and television series. The movie It: Chapter One was released in 2017 and grossed over 700 million dollars at the box office against a production budget of 35 million dollars. The 2019 sequel also carried the momentum to become one of the highest-grossing films that year. 

Set in a small Maine town called Derry, It tells the story of a group of children who are terrorized and tortured by a demonic figure, Pennywise. Every 27 years, Pennywise makes a comeback to haunt the children. The second chapter features the grown Loser Club kids, as they come back to Derry to prevent Pennywise from harming others. 

Much information about the origin and background of Pennywise remains mysterious. Welcome To Derry is reportedly going to uncover the backstories of Pennywise. As the main storyline concludes in It: Chapter Two, a prequel seems to be the right step to dive deeper into the world of Pennywise.

EXCLUSIVE: I’m told that an IT prequel series tentatively titled WELCOME TO DERRY is in early development at HBO Max… https://t.co/MHnKZKPxvK

— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) March 29, 2022

Director of the It duology Andy Muschietti (The Flash, Mama) had also acknowledged that “there is a whole mythology to the book” that deserves further exploration. “Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. It has been on Earth for millions of years. He’s been in contact with humans for hundreds of years, every 27 years. So you can imagine the amount of material,” said Muschietti in an interview. 

So far, no one from the movie production has officially joined the project. It’s unknown whether Muschietti or the actors of the film duology will make an appearance. Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Help), who recently won the Academy Award for Best Actress, starred as Bev Marsh in It: Chapter Two. Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård (Atomic Blonde) played the infamous Pennywise in both films.