IT: Welcome to Derry will be bringing another terrifying Pennywise story to audiences later this year, and not all of its new cast of characters will live to tell the tale.
The new series, which will air on Max, takes place in the 1960s and follows a brand new group of losers (as coined by the original tale) as they come face-to-face with the scariest clown they've ever met. The show will also explore Pennywise's origin story, something that's never been fleshed out to date.
Welcome to Derry's Death Toll Teased
Just Because They're Kids Doesn't Mean They Are Safe
While promoting his latest film, Never Let Go, casting director Rich Delia spoke with The Direct's Russ Milheim about his time casting for the IT films and its upcoming Max spinoff Welcome to Derry.
He described the process as "incredible" but also admitted that it "was a challenge" to find another group of losers to go up against Pennywise.
The casting director also revealed as one might expect, not all of them will live through the series:
Rich Delia: It was incredible. Andy and Barbara Muschietti, who are the masterminds behind the universe, are two of my favorite people to work with. They're absolutely incredible. And I was lucky enough to cast 'It" and 'It: Chapter 2' with them.
So, I had experience finding a group of losers already, and this was a challenge. Because I think, if I may say so myself, I think the original cast of losers are such beautiful young actors who have all gone on to do amazing things. And I love casting them so much.
And so to feel like you have to do it again, it felt like a little overwhelming, to be honest, at the start, but the material was so strong, the characters are so rich and so deep. And Andy and Barbara care so much about this world that you just––when you're working with people like that who care and are giving it 100%, it makes you want to give 100%.
So, it was just trying to uncover every stone as possible, to find these kids and find the most amazing, memorable kids that the audience will love, you know, falling in love with, and then some of them, of course, watching them die.
Sadly, the casting director wasn't able to pinpoint when exactly fans will be able to expect It: Welcome to Derry to release, but it'll be on screens at some point in 2025.
Alongside Bill Skarsgård, the show also stars Taylour Paige, James Remar, Madeleine Stowe, Jovan Adepo, Peter Outerbridge, Tyner Rushing, and more.
Bill Skarsgård's Terrifying Pennywise Audition
The Casting Director Was "Completely Terrified"
Pennywise the Clown is an iconic horror icon, made even more famous by the incredibly terrifying performance from Bill Skarsgård––who will be returning to the role in next year's Max series IT: Welcome to Derry.
Pennywise was first played by Tim Curry in the 1990 television adaptation of Steven King's IT.
However, for the more recent adaptations, IT: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, Bill Skarsgård took over the role and blew people away with his performance.
IT casting director Rich Delia recalled Bill Skarsgård's first audition for Pennywise, admitting that Delia himself was "completely terrified" and "actually scared in the room" when it played out in front of him:
Delia: I remember Bill Skarsgård's first audition for Pennywise was one of the most memorable auditions I've ever had in my life. I was completely terrified. He was not in a clown costume.
It was just Bill who, by the way, is the nicest, loveliest man in the world. But it was just Bill who came in, and he started launching into Pennywise, and I had chills, and the hair up on my arm, and I looked at my associate when he left, and I was like, freaking out. I was actually scared in the room. So that's a good sign for someone coming into play Pennywise.
It: Welcome to Derry does not currently have a release date, but it is expected to debut sometime this year on Max.
