Given its title, it's hardly surprising that It: Welcome to Derry is a prequel to Andy Muschietti's popular Stephen King adaptations It and It: Chapter Two. As previously explained by the director, it's a reintroduction of sorts that will not only give us a glimpse into the titular town's dark history but shed some light on Pennywise's origins, too.
"You get a glimpse into a bigger mythology for people who love the book or love the movies. We're opening a window," Muschietti previously told SFX magazine. "Everything that we are setting up in season one, that will really manifest in two and three, is a look into all the bigger questions about It. 'What does It want? Why is It here?' All the cryptic elements of It that we're going to ruin and explain…"
But when exactly does it take place? We can't blame you for not being certain, especially since Muschietti's movies played fast and loose with It's timeline; swapping 1958 (when Bill Denbrough and co. faced the titular evil as children) for 1988 to capitalize on the '80s nostalgia ushered in by Stranger Things and having Chapter Two take place in modern day, rather than 1985 (like in the novel). Fortunately, we break it all down below, so if you're confused by when It: Welcome to Derry is set in the franchise's ever-expanding canon, stop clownin' around and get scrolling...
When does Welcome to Derry take place in relation to It and It: Chapter Two?
As signaled in the trailer, the majority of It: Welcome to Derry is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of It (2017). More specifically, the prologue plays out in January 1962, before jumping ahead four months to April. (It's worth noting that George Denbrough, It's first victim in King's novel/the movies was killed in October 1988, while the majority of the story plays out across the following summer).
The year is important for two reasons: one, as established by Muschietti's movies, Pennywise surfaces approximately every 27 years to feed on the fears of a new generation of Derry residents. Two, The Black Spot, a nightclub frequented by non-white locals, was burned down that same year.
Muschietti, who created the spin-off with his producer sister Barbara Muschietti and writer Jason Fuchs, has made no secret of the fact that the show is largely based on the novel's interludes; deviations from the main narrative in which Losers Club member Mike Hanlon recalls his investigation into Derry's dark history. One big moment in said interludes is when Will, Mike's father, tells his son about how he and his Army base pals opened The Black Spot – and how it was once attacked by the racist cult, Maine Legion of White Decency.
Will also reveals to Mike that he saw a giant bird carry off a victim in its talons as the Black Spot burned down, alluding to shapeshifter Pennywise's presence that fateful night. In the book, the tragic event takes place in spring 1930, but in the 2017 movie, it was referenced to have happened in, you guessed it… 1962.
In the film, it's suggested that Mike's parents perished in a house fire, which led to him being raised by his grandparents, Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon, main characters in It: Welcome to Derry played by Jovan Adepo and Taylour Paige, respectively. On the small screen, Will is brought to life by Blake Cameron James. In the book, Mike was 15 when his dad passed and given who's involved, the show is likely to be canonical to Muschietti's movies.
When will It: Welcome to Derry seasons 2 and 3 be set?
We're just a few days out from It: Welcome to Derry's premiere now, and still some character names and other details are being kept under wraps. Something we do know, though, is that the Muschiettis have plans for three seasons, with each chapter focusing on a different death-filled devastation from Derry's past.
"[There's] the fire in the Black Spot…. the massacre of the Bradley Gang, a gang of bank robbers in the '30s… and the explosion of the Kitchener Ironworks. Every time [Pennywise] comes out of hibernation, there is a catastrophic event that happens at the beginning of that cycle," Andy told Radio TU. "There's a reason why the story is told backwards. So the first season is 1962, the second season is 1935, and the third season is 1908."
It: Welcome to Derry premieres on October 26 on HBO and HBO Max in the US. It'll air the following day on Sky and NOW in the UK. For more, check out our picks of the most exciting new TV shows heading our way or our ranking of the best Stephen King adaptations.
