Pennywise is here in director Andy Muschietti’s new HBO prequel series to his beloved It and It Chapter Two. The new installment in the franchise, It: Welcome to Derry, takes us back to the 1960s, and things will never be the same.
That’s right, Welcome to Derry is set in 1962 and shows fans what happens when Derry begins to experience some very unusual things, starting with the disappearance of a young boy. Bill Skarsgård returns as the creepy and famous Pennywise the Clown, as we see how he starts to terrorize the people in this town.
So, to celebrate my new favorite horror obsession — seriously, I highly recommend this show — we had Stephen Rider and Chris Chalk play with puppies while answering questions.
The two of them discussed what it was like joining Muschietti’s It universe with this series. In particular, they talked about what it was like seeing Skarsgård in his Pennywise makeup and costume for the first time up close.
They also teased their two characters with just three words each. Stephen said his character, Hank Grogan, is “courageous, loving, observant.” While Chris, who stars as the iconic Stephen King character Dick Hallorann, said this version of Dick is “grumpy, heroic, selfish.”
Outside of Welcome to Derry, we also found time to get to know Stephen and Chris a little better, which included Chris telling a hilarious story about his bad audition for Michael K. Williams’ role in Boardwalk Empire.
The whole thing was so hilarious and wholesome, and it makes me loves these two even more.
Be sure to watch It: Welcome to Derry, with new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.