Stephen King’s 11.22.63: Trending Netflix Sci-Fi Show Linked To Pennywise

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A popular science fiction series currently streaming on Netflix is inspired by a highly-regarded novel by Stephen King, and it subtly connects to his famous character, Pennywise.

Pennywise is best known as the terrifying villain in Stephen King’s IT series. He recently returned as the central antagonist in the HBO miniseries, again played by Bill Skarsgård. However, Pennywise’s story isn’t limited to just the IT book; he appears in other Stephen King works as well.

You can catch a glimpse of this creature in another science fiction novel by Stephen King, and the TV series based on that book is currently a hit on Netflix.

Stephen King’s 11.22.63 and IT Unfold In The Same Universe

The Netflix series 11.22.63, based on Stephen King’s novel, is currently very popular and receiving the praise it’s long deserved. Notably, it’s considered one of the best Stephen King TV adaptations, even though it differs quite a bit from the original book.

A significant alteration in the show involves removing the storyline where the protagonist, Jake Epping, time travels and finds himself in the town of Derry.

The story suggests that the worlds of 11.22.63 and IT are connected. In the TV adaptation, Jake Epping (played by James Franco) meets characters from IT – Richie Tozier and Beverly Marsh – while he’s in Derry in 1958, and he can even sense the evil presence of Pennywise.

He describes his eerie experience in the town as follows:

Let me tell you something that still chills me. I stumbled upon this fallen chimney at the old Kitchener Ironworks, and there was… something inside. I didn’t want to know what, honestly, but at the opening, I saw a pile of gnawed bones and a tiny, chewed-up kitten collar – the kind a kid would adore, with a little bell still attached. And from deep within that chimney, something shifted and moved. It wasn’t a sound, but a feeling, like a voice whispering in my head: ‘Come in… see for yourself.’ It urged me to enter, to visit, promising that time didn’t exist inside. It played on my curiosity, hinted at another strange entrance, another hidden world. Maybe it was, but it felt… different. It felt like Derry itself was in there – all the darkness, all the things that were twisted and wrong, just hiding and waiting. Hibernating, letting everyone think the bad times were over, lulling them into forgetting. I didn’t stick around to find out. I left, and I never went back to that part of town, ever.

It: Welcome To Derry Has The Perfect Chance To Make Up For 11.22.63’s Missed Opportunity

The TV series of 11.22.63 didn’t include a connection to Stephen King’s Pennywise, which was a missed opportunity. However, given the show’s short length and that it could only cover certain parts of the book, leaving out that reference makes sense.

As a big fan of both Stephen King and clever storytelling, I’m really excited about what HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry is doing. The show’s already shown us Pennywise can experience time differently, which opens up some amazing possibilities. It means they can connect the It universe to something like 11.22.63 – and even have events influence each other – without creating any plot holes or breaking the rules of either story. It’s a really smart way to expand the lore!

If the show Welcome to Derry revisits the same time period as Rich and Beverly in future seasons, like it did at the end of season one, it might also include Jake Epping as an important character, or at least make a brief appearance with him.

Even if you’re not familiar with it, knowing that 11.22.63 on Netflix shares a connection with another Stephen King story really amps up the tension when it comes to the time travel aspects of the show. As a fan, it just adds another cool layer to everything that’s happening!

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2026-01-18 06:28