Everyone knows IT is Stephen King’s most famous story set in the town of Derry, Maine. But dedicated King fans will point out it’s not the only one! Though Derry isn’t as well-known a setting as Castle Rock, several other novels and stories either take place there or feature the town, including 11.22.63, Insomnia, Dreamcatcher, Bag Of Bones, and even The Running Man. King has created a vast and interconnected world, and it’s exciting to think about how the new HBO series, IT: Welcome To Derry, will bring that world to life.
Showrunners Brad Caleb Kane and Jason Fuchs recently explained how they’re connecting Stephen King’s various works in their new series. I spoke with them during a virtual press event earlier this month and asked about the significant role the town of Derry plays in King’s stories. While the show mainly adapts IT, with a character from The Shining and Doctor Sleep also appearing, I was curious if they were drawing from other King novels as well. Here’s what Kane had to say:
That’s a great question. While we didn’t discuss ‘11.22.63’, ‘Insomnia’ did come up, and we explored how to incorporate ideas from it into the season. I can’t say whether anything from ‘Insomnia’ actually made it in, but we weren’t aiming for a season packed with hidden references. Our goal was to create a complete season with fresh, engaging characters.
I’ve been diving into Stephen King’s work, and while Insomnia isn’t usually mentioned with his most famous books, it’s a really significant story connected to his Derry universe – second only to It, actually. Without giving too much away, it follows a guy who starts having trouble sleeping, but that insomnia unlocks a strange ability to see things others can’t. This pulls him into a much bigger conflict, where he unexpectedly becomes crucial to stopping a terrible attack, and he’s facing off against powerful forces trying to make it happen.
If you see anything in the first season of IT: Welcome to Derry that feels familiar, now you know where it came from.
Kane explained that while the show does contain many details and references for fans to discover, it’s crucial that these don’t overshadow the main story he and the writers are trying to tell. He wants the story to be the focus, not just a collection of hidden nods and connections.
This season isn’t about connecting to past stories or the Hanlon family, and it doesn’t rely on established movie or book themes. It’s a standalone story, though it does include some hidden surprises.
Following up on what his co-showrunner said, Jason Fuchs explained that the show won’t only draw from stories specifically set in Derry. It appears they’re open to using elements from Stephen King’s entire body of work, and he even hinted at a surprising title they plan to incorporate.
The show is full of hidden references and details, often in every episode. One of my favorites – a nod to the movie Firestarter – is incredibly subtle and easy to miss, but I think it’s a really cool detail we included.
It’s surprising to see Firestarter brought up, as it’s one of Stephen King’s earlier books that isn’t set in Maine. The story takes place in several other states, like Ohio, New York, Vermont, and Virginia. I’m really interested to see how the new IT: Welcome To Derry will connect to the story of Charlie McGee, a young girl with fire-starting abilities, and the shadowy government organization called The Shop.
Then Brad Caleb Kane, a big Stephen King fan, brought up the author’s most famous work, The Dark Tower. Since the show will explore the beginnings of IT, also known as Pennywise, I’m wondering if we’ll get a glimpse of the world of Mid-World as part of that story. He also mentioned,
I’m a huge Stephen King fan, as is my family. I especially love the Dark Tower series. If you happen to hear someone say ‘Thankee-sai’ during the season, you’ll know exactly where it came from – and you will!
The long-awaited series, IT: Welcome to Derry, finally premieres tonight on HBO and will also be available immediately for streaming on Max. Once you’ve had a chance to watch the first episode, come back to TopMob for our in-depth look at all the Stephen King references and hidden details!
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2025-10-27 00:39