The first trailer for It: Welcome to Derry, the TV prequel to the two part movie adaptation of Stephen King’s novel (still with us? Good) just released. Alasdair Stuart loved the first movie (and the ’90s mini-series, Tim Curry is iconic) and thought the second movie was awful so went into this pretty cautiously… and was pleasantly surprised. Here’s what he found.

0.30 – New arrivals

Setting the show at the top of the 1960s means there’s an obligation to explore the impact of segregation, and the arrival of a black family in town, and the reaction to them, speaks to that. For clarity, this is a period where ‘Jim Crow’ laws in the US meant black people were discriminated against at every level and in every way. This is stated, provable historical fact that occurred within living memory. The fact the show is dealing with it not only gives me a great deal of hope, but also speaks to and complements the corruption of childhood innocence at the core of the story. Not to mention the recurrent theme throughout King’s work of humanity being capable of horrific actions all by itself.

0.40 – Bert the Turtle

Bert is the star of a 1952 public information campaign about what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. The instructions are by and large in the title and they’re as effective as you might think. Again, invoking this puts the kids’ horrific discoveries in an equally horrific historical context. Adults are lying to themselves about surviving nuclear war so no wonder they’re lying about the demonic murder clown haunting the town too.

0.46 – Pile of bikes

There’s a few beats in this trailer that are perfect images, and this is one of them. It’s just a pile of bikes against a tree but because we know the context, it’s infinitely worse. Like seeing a recently abandoned battlefield. Or a crime scene.

0.57 – The First Losers Club?

So we know these kids predate the characters of the original story but this image of the four of them riding down main street certainly evokes the Losers Club. No word on framing narratives yet, unsurprisingly, but it’s not much of a stretch to imagine archivist Mike Hanlon finding some record of what they did and that informing the original story. It’s a neat way to do a prequel.

1.03 – ‘No adult’s ever gonna believe what we saw.’

There it is. There’s the Horror with a capital H. These poor kids live on a nightmare’s TV dinner try and they’re not the only ones who can see it but are the only ones who want to do something about it.

1.10 – ‘There’s a history of stuff like this happening in Derry.’

I love how much this show seems to be steering into the fundamental, human horror of these kids realising everyone knows and those who aren’t too terrified to do anything just don’t care. King at his best is laser focused on this sort of idea and it’s perfect for the show to explore.

1.11 – Bad Cop

This is one of those just viscerally wrong, curdled Americana images that It excels at. This demonic police officer leering at what we presume are the main characters, looking like a pile of lazy, sweaty murder.

1.16 – ‘You kids keep your noses out of police business.’

Not only is this a deeply unsettling beat but that’s a genre legend as the police chief. Peter Outerbridge has been in everything from The Expanse and The Umbrella Academy to Murdoch Mysteries, Orphan Black and the show of my heart, B-movie medical sci-fi extravaganza ReGenesis. Much like countryman Stephen McHattie, he’s always great and I’m really looking forward to seeing him let loose in this.

 1.23 – ‘I heard voices. In the pipes.’

One of the best connective moments to the original, and one that again speaks to the kids slowly realising just how thin the skin of normality over Derry is.

1.34 – Balloon

Love this shot, not just for the just slightly curdled smile but the balloon in the background.

1.40 – Cinema atrocity?

This montage of terrible things happening is full of interesting stuff to pick apart but this shot sticks with me. A crowd of people run towards a fire door, panicking and desperate to escape. Is this the cinema we saw the kids enter earlier?

1.43 – Pennywise

And there it is. Interestingly, this incarnation seems a little different, almost more bestial.

Welcome to Derry premieres on whatever HBO Max will be called that week later this year with a first season of nine episodes.

Further reading:

Jim Crow laws

https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/what.htm

Ruby Bridges, the first African-American to attend an all-white school

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Bridges

Duck and Cover

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_and_Cover_(film)

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