“IT: Welcome to Derry” – More Relevant Than Ever, A Fear Mongering Parable, Reveals Andy Muschietti

At the debut of HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry, Andy and Barbara Muschietti, siblings and acclaimed filmmakers from Argentina, shared their thoughts on the significance of horror stories and, in particular, Stephen King’s novel.

The Muschiettis, along with Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane who acts as the showrunner, were the brains behind the series. Andy directed several of the episodes and both siblings served as executive producers under their Double Dream banner.

Drawing from Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel IT, the series portrays a group of children haunted by an ancient evil entity known as IT, which appears mainly as the clown Pennywise. Though filmed in Maine, the director mentioned that the series reflects elements of Argentina’s Dirty War.

“Growing up under a dictatorship was truly awful,” Andy expressed to the audience tonight. “The regime eventually fell, as they all do, and it ended disastrously. The effects and suffering didn’t just disappear; they lingered long after the dictatorship was over.”

He remarked on the prescience of King’s novel.

“Stephen King crafted not only a horror classic and a narrative on growing up but also a parable on the spreading of fear and its use as a weapon in society. This metaphor about spreading fear was pertinent at the time of writing, but it feels even more pressing today. That’s why I view this show as a reminder that through empathy and love, we can unite and confront the violence, intimidation, and cruelty that these horrors impose on us,” he explained.

IT: Welcome to Derry is set to premiere on HBO Max on October 26.