Argentine director Andy Muschietti reignited interest in Stephen King’s complex horror novel with his big-screen Andy Muschietti IT adaptation, bringing fresh life to a story that had long been seen as unadaptable. After the 1990 miniseries by Tommy Lee Wallace failed to capture all the layers of the over-1,000-page book, Muschietti’s two major films still left certain aspects—like Mike Hanlon’s deep research into Derry’s dark past—untouched due to time constraints. Now, HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry, overseen by Muschietti, offers an expanded look into those narrative gaps, with new episodes airing every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Translating Stephen King’s Epic Novel to Series Format
Stephen King’s IT is not only infamous for its shapeshifting villain but also for weaving together several decades of terror across numerous perspectives, making adaptation a daunting prospect. While the earlier miniseries brought Tim Curry’s Pennywise to audiences, many felt critical threads were missing, especially those touching on Derry’s haunted history and cycles of violence. When Muschietti came on board, he chose to split the story into two feature films, yet even these lengthy adaptations could not cover every component of King’s intricate plot. Key figures from the narrative, such as Mike Hanlon and the events mapped out in King’s interludes, remained underexplored.
The television format presented by HBO provides Muschietti and his team—including Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs, Brad Caleb Kane, and staff writer Cord Jefferson—a broader platform. Long-form storytelling allows them to delve into material that was previously stifled by cinematic time limits, expanding on Stephen King’s vision with room to explore the town of Derry’s centuries-old horrors and the recurring devastation planted by Pennywise every 27 years.
Embracing the Creative Marathon of Television Storytelling
Discussing the transition to this more expansive medium, Andy Muschietti stated,
“At the beginning, of course, everything is up in the air. I had never done a show before, which is like a marathon compared to a movie that is shorter and a little more contained. But the relief of doing a show is that you can put a lot of things in it—more than a movie. So you can let your imagination go wild.”
— Andy Muschietti, Director
Building upon the foundation of his film adaptations, Muschietti collaborated closely with Barbara Muschietti and their co-showrunners in a focused writers’ room. This collaborative environment enabled the creative team to brainstorm every possible narrative direction, without the early need to filter ideas based on runtime limitations, resulting in a thorough examination of Derry and its supernatural past. They considered and developed new material to fill in the ‘negative space’ between King’s original set pieces and Muschietti’s previous films.
Navigating Narrative Choices and Maintaining the Core Story
Reflecting on the process, Muschietti noted,
“You throw everything that you want on the table in those first meetings and as the story starts taking shape, inevitably, you have to get rid of things that are accessory to the main plots,”
— Andy Muschietti, Director. He elaborated on the experience:
“But it’s not really intimidating, because at the beginning, you throw everything at it and then [reason] makes you think about the things that are disposable, and you just get rid of them.”
— Andy Muschietti, Director
This philosophy guided the show’s development. The creative team consistently returned to the overarching narrative, focusing on the historical sequence of events that has shaped Derry. Season one centers on the early 1960s and will culminate in the infamous burning of the Black Spot, an event deeply woven into the mythos introduced by King. Muschietti pointed out that if the series is renewed, subsequent seasons may delve into even earlier incidents, such as the 1935 Bradley Gang massacre and the catastrophic 1908 Easter egg hunt explosion, further expanding the lore of Derry.
He teased these possible directions, stating,
“the Bradley Gang massacre and the explosion of the Easter egg hunt,”
— Andy Muschietti, Director, and emphasized the lack of anxiety in the team’s ambitious scope:
“So there wasn’t a lot of anxiety at the moment when we started trying to figure out how to contain these events.”
— Andy Muschietti, Director
The Expanding Story of Derry and Its Enduring Horror
By inviting viewers into the earlier decades of Derry’s haunted past, Muschietti’s IT adaptation not only deepens the roots of Stephen King’s chilling universe but also demonstrates the advantages of adapting complex material through episodic television. With pivotal figures like Mike Hanlon now given space to investigate Derry’s haunted timeline in detail, and new historical horrors mapped out, the show promises dedicated fans and new viewers an even more immersive experience of King’s unsettling world. The creative team, including co-writers like Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane, sets the stage for a broader exploration of fear that spans generations. As the series continues, the expansion of IT’s universe on screen signals both a reverence for King’s work and a readiness to tread into the unexplored dark corridors of Derry’s legacy.
