HBO’s upcoming prequel, IT: Welcome to Derry, reintroduces Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown while connecting Stephen King’s wider fictional world by including a character from The Shining. The series, set over a decade before the events of The Shining, features Richard “Dick” Hallorann, the head chef from King’s 1977 novel The Shining, played by Chris Chalk in his younger years.
Hallorann’s Role Across Stephen King’s Stories
Hallorann is known for his telepathic abilities in The Shining and his key role in identifying the malevolent influence over Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel. This character has appeared in previous adaptations, such as the 1980 film directed by Stanley Kubrick where Scatman Crothers portrayed him, and the 2019 movie Doctor Sleep starring Carl Lumbly. The Welcome to Derry series explores a younger Hallorann before these events.
Hallorann’s Presence in Derry and Its Meaning
In the recent trailer, Hallorann is seen forging a bond with a new family settling in Derry, Maine, and warning about mysterious disappearances in the town’s past. His psychic abilities become apparent as he cautions that “something is coming.” This integration aligns with Stephen King’s original IT novel, where Hallorann is mentioned as an army cook connected to The Black Spot nightclub, a significant location in the series that is destroyed by white supremacists.
Director Andy Muschietti on Including Hallorann and The Black Spot
Andy Muschietti, the director of IT: Welcome to Derry, described the depiction of The Black Spot nightclub as “a big paroxysm of violence” illustrating “the darkness of the story” and reflecting
“the violence that happened in America.”
When asked about featuring Hallorann, Muschietti stated,
“For us, it was a no-brainer. Dick was an outstanding character, not only because he’s in The Shining but also because [his] power is definitely ingrained in the story.”
– Andy Muschietti
Premiere Details and the Future of the Stephen King Universe
IT: Welcome to Derry will premiere on October 26 via HBO and HBO Max in the United States, with its UK release on October 27 through Sky and Now. This expansion of the Stephen King cinematic universe serves to deepen connections between his stories and characters, promising to reveal more about the shared mythos while exploring the darker themes of violence and supernatural forces that define King’s works.
