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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Annabel Nugent

Derry Girls writer Lisa McGee praises fans for hilarious responses to new It series

Warner Bros / Channel 4

News that Stephen King’s classic It is getting a prequel series on HBO Max has been met with a hilarious reaction from fans of a very different show.

Pennywise – the terrifying clown most recently portrayed in two films by Bill Skarsgard – is set to return to screens in a prequel series on HBO Max.

Welcome To Derry is based on King’s 1986 novel IT and will be directed by Andy Muschietti who was behind 2017’s It and 2019’s It: Chapter Two.

The series is set in Derry, which King has called “Maine’s most haunted city”.

Its title, however, has attracted attention from fans of another Derry-set show: Derry Girls.

Fans were dismayed when Lisa McGee’s hit Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls came to an end with its critically acclaimed third season in 2022.

Instead of following the story of a horrifying clown in Maine, Derry Girls takes place in Derry, Northern Ireland, during the Nineties.

The title of King’s new series has prompted some hilarious memes featuring the show’s much-loved characters, such as Saorise-Monica Jackson Erin, Nicola Coughlan’s Clare, and Kathy Kiera Clarke’s Aunt Sarah.

McGee has praised fans of the show for their responses, writing on Twitter: “You’re outdoing yourselves in the replies lads.”

Here’s a few of the best…

A release date for Welcome to Derry is yet to be announced.

“I’m excited that the story of Derry, Maine’s most haunted city, is continuing, and I’m glad Andy Muschietti is going to be overseeing the frightening festivities, along with a brain trust including his talented sister, Barbara,” said King in a statement earlier this month. “Red balloons all around!”

It was announced that Jason Fuchs (co-writer of Wonder Woman) will write the teleplay for the first episode.

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