Copyright Screen Rant
Netflix has a nearly perfect sci-fi show, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%, which was surprisingly inspired by the book that a new Stephen King show adapts. Rightfully touted as the King of Horror, Stephen King has published a vast number of books and short stories in the genre. His literary influence, however, knows no bounds and spreads across many mediums and genres of storytelling. Be it sci-fi or coming-of-age dramas, traces of King's storytelling can be found almost everywhere. Interestingly, one of Netflix's most acclaimed high-concept science fiction shows was also deeply inspired by one brilliant Stephen King book. The book has always been immensely popular and has also been adapted multiple times. However, it now serves as the source material for a hit HBO horror show. Stephen King’s IT Was One Of The Key Inspirations Behind Netflix’s Dark Even though almost eight years have passed since its premiere on Netflix, Dark undeniably remains the streaming service's best and most complete science fiction show. With its portrayal of time travel, Dark brought something incredibly unique and hard-hitting to the table. Interestingly, Stephen King's IT was one of the biggest inspirations behind its story. As Dark's creator, Baran bo Odar, revealed in an interview (via Dazed Digital), they were deeply inspired by the 80s, and Stephen King's IT had a profound impact on them. Other than the Stephen King book, they also cited Twin Peaks as a key influence. While Twin Peaks' influence on Dark makes sense, Stephen King's IT does not seem to have a lot in common with the Netflix sci-fi show, at least on the surface. IT has little to do with complex time travel, while Dark is a high-concept sci-fi drama. However, a closer look at both reveals several overlaps. For instance, the stories in both begin with the mysterious disappearance of a child in a small, quaint town. The towns in both stories seem peaceful and safe at first, but they hide a dark, sinister secret that many choose to ignore or are too powerless to expose. Both Dark and IT also use a specific location as a crucial narrative device. While the sewers of Derry serve as symbols of the fear and negligence that consumes the town in IT, the Winden caves become metaphorical and literal gateways to time in Dark. Both narratives also span across several generations, highlighting the cyclical nature of their overarching evil forces and loops of trauma their characters have to endure. The existential elements in Dark are also reminiscent of the cosmic terrors in Stephen King's IT, highlighting how the Netflix show's creators could have heavily drawn from the novel. Why All Dark Fans Must Check Out HBO’s IT: Welcome To Derry Stephen King's IT has already been adapted twice for the big screen. While the first movie received immense acclaim, the second one got a relatively more mixed response. HBO's IT: Welcome to Derry serves as the prequel to the two movies, walking through the origins of Pennywise in the titular town of Derry. Like Stephen King's original novel, the show explores themes of racism, loss of innocence, and the slow, terrifying decay of human morality. Similar to Dark, it also highlights how humanity's only antidote to unexplained, ancient terrors is connection. Like the acclaimed Netflix sci-fi series, IT: Welcome to Derry also adopts a bleak, melancholic tone that combines dread with nostalgia. Although the Stephen King series has nothing to do with time travel, fans of Netflix's Dark will undoubtedly enjoy it.
