“IT: Welcome to Derry Ep. 7—Inside Pennywise Origins with the Muschiettis on Crew Call Podcast!”

Heads Up: The following discussion and article include specifics from Episode 7 of HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, titled “The Black Spot”

In the latest episode, we delve deeper into the backstory of Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgard) and his daughter Periwinkle (portrayed by Madeleine Stowe), who dreams of performing as a clown with her father. Her aspirations are purely to bring joy and entertainment.

Moreover, there’s a crucial element, a pillar, that holds the power to defeat the monster; however, the military is clueless about its potent capabilities and how it could aid them. Leroy Hanlon steps in to thwart General Shaw’s reckless strategies.

Creators and executive producers Andy and Barbara Muschietti reveal insights about Episode 7 of IT: Welcome to Derry tonight, explaining its role within the larger narrative of the It series.

As an adult, Ingrid, also known as Periwinkle, uncovers the horrifying reality about her father (or rather, the creature), who gruesomely devours Stanley’s head in her presence. This traumatic event leaves us questioning whether Ingrid/Periwinkle herself has been corrupted by her father’s evil, as Pennywise takes a temporary rest—but as we know, he always returns.

The creators also discuss Pennywise’s specific targeting of Will Hanlon (father of Mike Hanlon from the It films, portrayed by Chosen Jacobs as a youth and Isaiah Mustafa as an adult), the implications of Dick Halloran’s connection to The Shining, and what’s anticipated for Season 2 (set in 1935) and Season 3 (taking place in 1908).

The Muschiettis explain that this episode was not initially planned or scripted early on. Unexpected strikes significantly impacted the development and production of Welcome to Derry‘s screenplay as the series’ young actors grew noticeably during the lengthy filming hiatus.

“With the studio’s support, we were fortunate to commence filming the series even though not all episodes were fully scripted,” Barbara Muschietti shares with Crew Call tonight.

Below is our full conversation with the Muschiettis: