Yesterday evening's episode of It: Welcome to Derry saw Pennywise the Clown end its latest cycle by orchestrating the Black Spot massacre. More of the terrifying entity's backstory was also revealed, including why it took on the form of a clown.
You can read our full recap here; in the meantime, HBO has shared the teaser for this Sunday's finale, "Winter Fire." Pennywise has been woken up, and Derry is going to pay (as are the children who attempted to vanquish the creature).
Covered in blood after emerging prematurely from its 27-year slumber, Pennywise looks and acts completely unhinged. We're intrigued to see how the story ends, particularly as we already know what happens when the iconic movie monster returns to Derry in the 1980s.
Variety spoke with director and producer Andy Muschietti about the episode and asked about expanding on the Black Spot massacre, which is only touched on briefly in Stephen King's IT novel. He also teased a "catastrophic conclusion."
"In the big ocean that is the book, the Black Spot seems small, but it’s actually a very substantial event in the interludes," the filmmaker said. "Since we’re basing the show on the interludes, we really wanted to show the events of the Black Spot and use it as a guideline."
"Apart from a dramatic low point, it is a guideline that leads our characters towards a catastrophic conclusion, or, if not a conclusion, a big pivotal point in the story."
"I wanted to do justice to the book in terms of the horror and the atrocities that are experienced. I wanted to not only create tension and suspense on the build up, but also when the whole thing goes off," Muschietti continued. "We wanted to create the impression that we are locked inside with the rest of the people. That’s why the perspective doesn’t leave the room."
"There is a bit of a oner that basically follows several characters as the panic spreads with the fire. It’s a really tough scene to watch and was a very tough scene to shoot, but I really wanted to stay true to the intensity of that part of the book," he concluded.
Set in the world of Stephen King's It universe, It: Welcome to Derry is based on King's It novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films It and It Chapter Two.
The cast is led by Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso, and Bill Skarsgård.
The series, from Warner Bros. Television and developed for television by filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti (It, The Flash) and Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman), will debut on HBO and also be available to stream on HBO Max. Muschietti will direct four episodes of the nine-episode series.
Seven episodes of It: Welcome to Derry are now streaming on HBO Max. The finale arrives on December 14.