Did Stephen King write IT: Welcome To Derry? He’s only given one interview about the show

IT: Welcome To Derry is the latest in a long line of horror projects born from the expansive universe of Stephen King’s terrifying body of work.

When he’s not fighting with right-wingers on Twitter, Stephen King is perhaps one of the most famous authors on the planet. He began his anthology with the iconic Carrie in 1979, before moving on to other great works such as The Long Walk, The Green Mile, Misery, Doctor Sleep, ‘Salem’s Lot, and about a dozen other instantly recognisable horror stories.

You can’t talk about Stephen King without referencing IT, the Pennywise-driven novel that sparked three films, a miniseries, and now, IT: Welcome To Derry.

Did Stephen King write IT: Welcome To Derry?

Welcome to Derry is based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel It, which sold over 350 million copies worldwide. Though it takes some creative liberties with the source material and the timeline established in the 2017 and 2019 films, many of the themes and elements are taken from Stephen King’s expanded universe. The HBO Max show was actually written by Jason Fuchs, who earlier worked on Flipper, Argylle, Wonder Woman, and It Chapter Two.

Despite that, you could argue that Stephen King had a hand in IT: Welcome To Derry. If it weren’t for his initial stroke of genius, terrifying generations of people with coulrophobia (fear of clowns), then Welcome To Derry could not have come to be.

What has the writer said about the show?

Don't miss an early release of Episode 2 on Halloween. Episode 1 of #ITWelcomeToDerry is now streaming.@hbomax @HBO @IT_Official #HappyHalloween pic.twitter.com/ujD3lCD91f

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 31, 2025

Beyond posting the trailer to Twitter and encouraging people to watch the show, Stephen King has only given one interview about It: Welcome to Derry.

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Speaking to the New York Post, the iconic author said: “There are plenty of horrors and lots of surreal visuals. There’s a supermarket scare that sticks in my mind, complete with pickle jars.

“Andy Muschietti (director) has got a touch of genius when it comes to scares. Folks are going to see some scenes in their nightmares.”

On the devlish clown himself, who is again played by the captivating Bill Skarsgård, the author added: “When Pennywise finally appears, he’s still scary as hell.”

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Featured image credit: HBO/Erik S Lesser/EPA/Shutterstock