Welcome To Derry Cast Share Stephen King Favorites And Memories

It: Welcome to Derry cast members have shared their favorite Stephen King memories and adaptations, with a controversial choice included. The HBO supernatural horror TV series is a prequel to the reboot movies It and It Chapter Two and is set during the early 1960s, when a new family moves to Derry, Maine, and horrific events begin to unfold.

Welcome to Derry‘s cast sees Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as the titular murderous clown Pennywise, heading up an ensemble cast that includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Kimberly Gueuerro, and Chris Chalk. The show combines fresh talents with Skarsgård’s legacy performance to deepen the terror and add to the growing adaptations of King’s work.

While ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan spoke with the IT: Welcome to Derry cast, they revealed their earliest memories of King’s work, as well as their favorite adaptations of his work. The consensus seemed to be The Shiningbut, there were several different choices, including the controversial rabid-dog horror Cujo. Check out the choices below:

ScreenRant: Given this is a Stephen King adaptation, I just want to know what was your first memory of anything Stephen King that you were exposed to? And then a two part question, what is your favorite?

Taylor Paige: Mine is The Shining, my answer for both. It’s just incredibly acted and directed, although knowing the backstory, it’s a little sad what my girl Shelley went through. Shelley Duvall’s one of my favorite actresses of all time, Jack Nicholson, it’s just an incredible piece of cinema. And although Kubrick had his issues, we were really lucky to have Stanley Kubrick. He changed the landscape of filmmaking, and also, I’d like to say, did Stephen proud.

Jovan Adepo: I would say the IT miniseries with Tim Curry. That was probably my first introduction to Stephen King as a child. I didn’t like IT, obviously. I was terrified. I just remembered being afraid of sewers and hearing voices in the drain.

Taylor Paige: Scared of the sink. I remember when the balloon came out of the sink.

Jovan Adepo: Yeah, I just remember the music, the circus music was good that they played. I think they played the circus music much more in the miniseries than in the current version. And it was just really eerie and slow and creepy, and I just didn’t like it. But I have respect for it now, for sure. But it definitely, I appreciate Andy’s take on the story, though, much more. I think it’s just more lasting.

James Remar: I guess my first exposure was The Shining the movie when it came out, and I decided to start reading his books. I read The Stand pretty early, and I read IT pretty early, but I read The Shining, which is a pretty short book. IT and The Stand are very long books, but The Shining is pretty short comparatively, and it really blew my mind. Everything that is in that book moves forward, and you can see it in other books, an inanimate object coming to life because of some malevolent force behind it that feeds on fear. It’s a strong theme throughout his books, and how innocence and love seemed to be able to overcome it time and time again. So, it really goes beyond something that you would call the genre of horror. It’s very impactful and a deep study of the human condition. I think his work is amazing.

Kimberly Guerrero: Agreed, yeah. The literary richness is unquestionable. So to get to marry that with such a popular genre as horror, it’s a really powerful recipe of entertainment and character-driven drama. And it makes for a thrill ride. My first exposure was Carrie, reading it and then of course seeing the film. I just remember (wondering), “What’s happening. I don’t understand what’s happening right now”, at the climax of Carrie. I would say my favorite still is probably Stand By Me. There’s something about being on the bike and being with your friends. I grew up in rural Oklahoma in a little town called Idabell, Oklahoma, and that was our life. I was always at the railroad tracks, so I kind of felt like, “Me too. This is my story. I understand this story.” And I just loved that sense of adventure and coming of age, and how we come together and face — you would call it trauma now, but how do we face these secrets that we carry and when do we decide to share them with others, and kind of move through them or not?

James Remar: Cujo scared the hell out of me.

Kimberly Guerrero: Cujo was terrifying.

James Remar: Cujo was, because there’s the seven stories you can tell, and this is man versus nature, or woman and her kid versus nature, and it’s just this rabid dog, and it’s just so hopeless. Dog is supposed to be a man’s best friend. Cujo is a very disturbing story.

Stephen Rider: Shawshank Redemption, for me. That and Green Mile, for me, are two of my favorite films, period. I mean Coffey broke my heart in Green Mile. And Shawshank, come on. The challenge is, that’s an unfair question because he has a lot of classics.

Chris Chalk: My first was reading The Shining, because I had a weird childhood where I read stuff like that as a kid, and then the second was reading IT, and then it’s just seeing all these manifestations of things. I read The Stand, and then I think I’ve watched every manifestation of his work.

The diverse range of choices shows the breadth and scope of King’s literary legacy and shines a light on just how much of his work has been subject to strong adaptations. The original IT miniseries, with Tim Curry as Pennywise, is referenced by Adepo, illustrating the story’s legacy and bringing things full circle with this prequel adaptation.

King adaptations have largely been acclaimed throughout the decades, across both film and TV. Many of his works have included controversial themes and events, and Cujo remains one of King’s most controversial adaptations. Remar’s breakdown is spot on; the story works because it subverts the idea of ​​dogs as loyal, dependable human companions.

Among the other choices are King epics such as The Standas well as critically acclaimed short story adaptations like Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemptionwhich have become inescapable parts of popular culture. The Green Mile, Carrieand The Shining are also considered literary and cinematic classics that have proven hugely inspirational.

The fact that the cast seems so influenced and inspired by King’s works is a testament to the author’s impact on not just the horror genre but on American popular culture. While Welcome to Derry may not wind up with the horrific and brilliant legacy of the original miniseries, it’s a strong reminder of how relevant King’s works still are.

After episode 2 airs on October 30, It: Welcome to Derry will drop new episodes on Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.