Dick Hallorann, the kind-hearted cook known from The Shining, is set to appear in HBO’s upcoming series It: Welcome to Derry, creating an unexpected crossover within the Stephen King universe. This development links the Overlook Hotel and its haunting with the eerie town of Derry decades earlier, offering fans an expanded view of King’s interrelated worlds.
The Intricate Web of Stephen King’s Fictional Worlds
Stephen King’s stories are famously interwoven through shared locations, recurring families, and overlapping plotlines, connecting seemingly separate narratives into a larger tapestry. While The Dark Tower saga explicitly ties many stories together, the towns of Derry and Castle Rock also act as recurring backdrops. Though The Shining and It explore very different kinds of horror — one rooted in the psychological torment of isolation and madness, the other in an ancient, shape-shifting evil — they converge in the figure of Dick Hallorann.
In King’s novel It, Hallorann is introduced long before his role as the Overlook’s cook. As a young Army chef stationed near Derry in the 1930s, he works at The Black Spot, a social club for Black soldiers that experiences a brutal white supremacist attack. This violent event, fueled by It’s influence feeding off fear and hatred, leads Hallorann to heroically save many lives. During the attack, he briefly witnesses one of It’s horrifying creature forms within the flames, linking his psychic ability — the shining — to the broader supernatural network of King’s universe. Unlike many who face such darkness, Hallorann survives to share his experience.
Dick Hallorann: The Unassuming Protector in The Shining
In Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of The Shining, Dick Hallorann, portrayed by Scatman Crothers, is the wise head cook at the Overlook Hotel. He immediately senses the psychic power — the shining — in young Danny Torrance and warns him about the malevolent forces lurking within the hotel. Hallorann’s empathy and bravery set him apart as a rare adult willing to believe and support a frightened child.
In King’s original novel, Hallorann survives his dangerous rescue attempt and becomes a surrogate father figure to Danny and Wendy Torrance. However, Kubrick’s adaptation takes a darker turn, killing Hallorann soon after he arrives at the hotel, which amplifies the story’s tragedy. Regardless of the version, Hallorann remains a symbol of compassion and courage against overwhelming evil.
Hallorann returns in Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, depicted as a spiritual presence aiding an adult Danny Torrance, played by Ewan McGregor, in confronting his haunted past. Carl Lumbly assumes the role of Hallorann’s spirit, guiding Danny to build “lockboxes” in his mind — mental barriers designed to contain malevolent forces. This mentorship becomes vital to Danny’s redemption and his eventual confrontation with the Overlook’s ghosts in the Mike Flanagan adaptation. Even in death, Hallorann represents the steadfast character who understands and helps others face unseen horrors.
Hallorann’s Key Role in HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry
HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry deepens Hallorann’s backstory by revisiting The Black Spot narrative, now set in the early 1960s to fit the timeline of Andy Muschietti’s It films. Chris Chalk will portray the younger Hallorann, showing him confronting racial violence and social unrest amplified by Pennywise’s influence. Muschietti initially planned to include The Black Spot in his films via flashbacks but was constrained by budget limits. The series format allows this story room to develop over multiple episodes.
This portrayal highlights how the town’s systemic prejudice and Pennywise’s malevolence are intertwined, while also illustrating how Hallorann’s compassion and strength were forged long before his time at the Overlook. If the show remains true to King’s vision, it will deepen audience understanding of Hallorann’s character by connecting his courage in Derry’s terror-filled streets with his later heroic acts in Colorado.
Thematic Threads Linking Good Versus Evil in King’s Works
Hallorann’s appearances extend beyond King’s novels; he is briefly mentioned in Pearl, authored by Tabitha King, Stephen King’s wife, where he is shown working in Key West. This cameo suggests that King’s characters can transcend single storylines or universes, underscoring his idea that multiple realities coexist. Hallorann’s psychic ability, the shining, recurs among King’s characters, granting them sensitivity to hidden evils, some of which they combat, endure, or help others face.
The recurrence of Hallorann across King’s works is more than fan service— it supports his central theme that evil cycles through time and place, repeatedly afflicting humanity, as seen in The Stand and The Dark Tower. Yet alongside evil, goodness persists in the form of characters like Hallorann, demonstrating that kindness and bravery endure even amid pervasive darkness.
The Lasting Impact of Dick Hallorann as a Stephen King Icon
Dick Hallorann remains one of King’s most beloved and complex characters due to his combination of supernatural talent and human decency. His quiet heroism, marked by empathy and courageous action rather than bravado, marks a central archetype in King’s storytelling. Mike Flanagan once considered a prequel to The Shining focusing on Hallorann’s life before the Overlook, recognizing the depth and appeal of his character.
Hallorann stands apart in a universe where many deny or flee from evil, consistently choosing to intervene. Whether saving soldiers from a burning nightclub or responding to Danny Torrance’s telepathic distress, Hallorann personifies hope and perseverance. As It: Welcome to Derry expands Stephen King’s mythos for television, Hallorann is poised to become the vital link uniting two of King’s most terrifying stories. His survival through the nightmares of both Derry and the Overlook underscores the enduring power of those gifted with the shining.
It: Welcome to Derry will premiere on HBO on Sunday, October 26.
