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A highly-anticipated new horror series that delves more into the history of Stephen King's child-snatching clown Pennywise finally releases today (October 27). IT: Welcome to Derry was adapted for television by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, the same brother and sister duo behind 2017's IT movie and its 2019 sequel, IT Chapter Two, as well as Wonder Woman's Jason Fuchs. It serves as a prequel to the films. The eight-episode series draws on the "hidden" story that unfolds across five 'interludes' within King's IT novel which give readers more information about the history of the fictional town of Derry and its flame-haired villain Pennywise. These sections are told through the eyes of the character of Mike Hanlon in the book. Among the series' glittering cast is returning star Bill Skarsgård who is reprising his role as Derry's killer clown after a series of "weird" conversations off the back of IT Chapter Two. Andy, who directs multiple episodes of Welcome to Derry, told an audience at New York Comic Con: "I started having these weird conversations with Bill Skarsgård because we were high on the experience of doing IT Chapter Two. "We started speculating and fantasising about a new story, a new movie, which was basically the origin story of Pennywise. How did IT become the clown? What role did the infamous and cryptic Bob Gray play?" As the first episode of the new season drops, viewers may be wondering where the show is filmed given that its setting of Derry, Maine is famously not a real place. The show was filmed in multiple locations across Canada but it is Port Hope, Ontario in particular that may look familiar to some viewers. That is because the TV show uses some of the same filming sites that were used for the IT movies, including the municipality's downtown area and suburban streets. The area has become known as the "real-life Derry" and the Port Hope Tourism Board even offers an IT-themed walking tour which includes stops at the sites of the fictional Quality Meats and Derry Public Library. Other filming sites for the TV show include Hamilton, Ontario where the former Delta Secondary School was transformed into Derry High. Meanwhile CFB Borden, also in Ontario, is home to a military airstrip used in some scenes. IT: Welcome to Derry's first episode is available on Sky and NOW TV with new episodes dropping every Monday
