A new It prequel series with the working title Welcome to Derry has been announced for HBO Max. With Andy and Barbara Muschietti as executive producers, it returns to Stephen King‘s famous horror franchise

Andy Muschietti is known for being the director of the successful film It (2017) and its sequel, It: Chapter Two (2019). As co-producer of the new horror series, he will work alongside his sister, Barbara Muschietti (It).

The showrunners of the HBO Max series are the screenwriters Brad Caleb Kane and Jason Fuchs.

While Kane's credits as producer and writer include series like Fringe or Black Sails, Fuchs is known for playing Richie‘s manager in It: Chapter Two.

“To be able to return to the world of my all-time favourite horror novel and help build upon the singularly brilliant cinematic universe created by Andy and Barbara is more than the opportunity of a lifetime, it’s a dream come true — or, maybe more appropriately, a nightmare,” Fuchs said in a statement.

Fuchs' previous film writing credits include Ice Age: Continental Drift, Pan, and a story by credit on Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman.

For their part, the Muschietti's shared: “As teenagers, we took turns reading chapters of Stephen King’s IT until the thick paperback fell to pieces. IT is an epic story that contains multitudes, far beyond what we could explore in our IT movies. We can’t wait to share the depths of Steve’s novel, in all its heart, humour, humanity and horror.”

Let’s go back to where IT all began 🎈…Welcome to Derry (Working Title), a new prequel series to the hit films set in the world of Stephen King's IT universe, has been ordered at HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/GKvq9LN7kb

— IT Chapter Two 🎈🎈 (@ITMovieOfficial) February 24, 2023