Don't Miss This Legendary Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment
HBO's It: Welcome to Derry contains numerous nods to the author's wide-ranging library of stories. Beyond the clear links to the original story, the series also features a direct link to The Shining via the cameo of a young Dick Hallorann. Now, as the story unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved tale from King that deserves another look.
The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption
While Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as a horror film, particularly in contrast with a lot of the author's additional work, it is a haunting story of a wrongfully convicted individual sentenced to spend the rest of his life inside a infamous penitentiary. And it's this specific institution that becomes central in this context, as Shawshank State Prison holds considerable lore throughout King's fictional world — a pattern which persists in Welcome to Derry.
Among the tales which mention the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these stories, we discover about the awful conditions at the state penitentiary and several of those imprisoned there, including the boyfriend of one belonging to Pennywise's initial targets, who had been convicted for robbery with a weapon.
Thus far, however, the most we've learned about the prison has been through the eyes of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film. The character Andy winds up at the prison following being wrongly convicted, then experiences assaulted and raped by fellow inmates, while taken advantage of by those in authority figures due to his expertise in finance. He requires nearly three decades to tunnel an escape route of the prison, prior to making his way "through a river of shit" to reclaim his freedom.
The Prison's Role in Welcome to Derry
In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the show, where a prison bus appeared bearing the title displayed on its side. During the second episode, we learn who is probably headed to Shawshank.
Although we know he was not commit the murders of children initially, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for the crimes. The preview for the next episode, "Now You See It," reveals an officer telling a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what happens to child murderers in Shawshank?"
The Consequences for the Character and His Daughter
Given that the actual killer in the town is an ancient power from another world preying on and killing children, Hank's prospects of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he does go in the prison and viewers don't follow him there, knowing what is known regarding Shawshank indicates that his experience would be far from pleasant.
Crucially, though, this development could threaten Ronnie. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are happening in the town that nobody, child or adult, comprehends and Ronnie only has her recently formed circle of pals to depend on. She will require her father in the coming episodes, however should Shawshank plays a role, she could be out of luck.
A single fact is apparent: Hank lacks three decades to dig his way out.
It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. Additional installments are released each week on Sundays.
