Pennywise's Death In IT: Welcome to Derry Explained by Creator

Why Pennywise’s Welcome To Derry Death Is So Different From The Movies Explained By Creator Pennywise's eyes glowing yellow and his face starting to melt in IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 8 By  Grant Hermanns  &  Tatiana Hullender Published 29 minutes ago Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for It: Welcome to Derry season 1, episode 8, "Winter Fire"!Pennywise has met his end yet again in IT: Welcome to Derry season 1's ending, albeit in a very different manner from prior adaptations of the Stephen King novel. The HBO prequel series saw the malevolent clown entity bringing his special reign of terror to the titular town in 1962. After nearly succeeding in keeping his cage untethered, the Welcome to Derry season 1 ending finds the new group of young protagonists keep Pennywise trapped and him melt away as he goes back into hibernation.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Tatiana Hullender to discuss the finale, Barbara Muschietti opened up about changing Pennywise's death for the IT: Welcome to Derry season 1 ending. With his demise featuring an ink-like appearance as he oscillates between the various forms taken throughout the season before melting completely into just the Deadlights, it comes as a stark contrast to the cracking-away design of the first film and deflated appearance in Chapter Two.

As Muschietti, who co-created the series with Andy Muschietti and co-showrunner Jason Fuchs, explained, it was her brother, who directed the first two IT films, as being the reason behind this change. Explaining that "it is always very important for us that we give something different," the co-creator/executive producer shared that they wanted to avoid the "child pancake" from the second film and the "cracks and float[ing]" of the first, while also tapping into the unique nature of Pennywise:

God knows if that is the visual way that our characters have to interpret or explain his temporary demise. Maybe he's just sitting there in the same spot, and 27 years go by. That is what's so magical about IT. What is a deadlight? It can be whatever we want it to be.

Muschietti went on to share that her brother "has been drawing since he was two" and has put that same creative energy into his work. Describing him as having "a visual plasticity and constant curiosity," she praised the director for being "very good at expressing those visuals," which makes things all the easier as they all work with the VFX supervisors, special effects team and production designer as "everybody understands what the mission is because Andy is so clear."

While everybody may understand the vision, Muschietti does denote that there's a "patience [required] on both sides" of the production, as "Andy is a perfectionist" and will pour over everything "so he doesn't let go of any bone." This, in turn, sometimes led them to delivering IT: Welcome to Derry material "at the last possible second" to respective other teams.

Much to Muschietti's point, the ways in which Pennywise has died, or seemingly died, have appeared differently going all the way back to King's original IT novel. In the first half of the book, the evil clown is initially injured by a silver slug shot at It with a slingshot, creating a slightly disfigured face. The second half, during the Losers' Club's adult encounter with the entity, saw them collectively beat, stomp and dismember Pennywise in its spider-like form to defeat It.

As denoted previously, Muschietti took a different approach to Pennywise's demise in the IT movies, giving a more visually intricate death to the character. But, as the co-creator explains above, his death in the Welcome to Derry ending is one that's actually befitting of the character, given how theatrical he is, and how he often takes different forms in the book. In giving a more intense appearance to his death to those around, this could be his way of trying to fool those around him into believing he's dead for good.

Related Stephen King: Every Movie Monster IT Turns Into In The Book

In Stephen King's IT book, the shape-shifting monster takes on many forms it doesn't in the adaptations, including multiple famous movie monsters.

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One question that is now to come from Pennywise's new death in IT: Welcome to Derry season 1's ending is how the Muschiettis will look to change it again for future seasons. While not yet officially greenlit, the Muschiettis and Fuchs developed a three-season plan for the series, with the next two expected to take place in 1935 and 1908, and given season 1 already showcased some of Its forms from the latter, it will be interesting to see how those might influence a different demise visual.

Be sure to dive into our other IT: Welcome to Derry season 1 coverage with:

• How the reveal of Pennywise and Bob Gray's true origins created 4 new mysteries for IT: Welcome to Derry
• The show's expansion of Bob Gray's backstory after IT: Chapter Two's initial change
• Jason Fuchs on Sophia Lillis' surprise return as Beverly in the IT: Welcome to Derry ending and what it means for the future
• Jason Fuchs explaining the ending's surprise Richie Tozier reveal and how the character is tied to the season's biggest death
• Barbara Muschietti on the unique origin behind IT: Welcome to Derry exploring Pennywise's time-shifting mindset
• Jason Fuchs on how Dick Halorann's ending in the series sets up his Shining future
• Jason Fuchs on Pennywise's "birth" scene in Welcome to Derry's ending and its impact on the IT franchise
• Jason Fuchs on whether any other Welcome to Derry season 1 characters can return in future seasons

All eight episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry season 1 are available to stream on HBO Max.

86 9.3/10 7/10

It: Welcome to Derry

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Horror Mystery Drama Release Date October 26, 2025 Network HBO Directors Andy Muschietti Writers Jason Fuchs, Stephen King, Austin Guzman Franchise(s) IT 8 Images Dick Hallorann with his eyes wide looking angry in It Welcome to DerryBill Skarsgard's Pennywise in IT Welcome to Derry trailer 2Image courtesy of HBO MaxKid similing in IT Welcome To DerryIt: Welcome to Derry teens looking surprised at something off screenClose

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• Taylour Paige Charlotte Hanlon
• Jovan Adepo Leroy Hanlon

Main Genre Horror Genres Horror, Mystery, Drama Creator(s) Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs Executive Producer(s) Andy Muschietti, Bárbara Muschietti, Bill Skarsgård, Brad Kane, Dan Lin, Jason Fuchs, Roy Lee, David Coatsworth, Shelley Meals Producers Anna Beben, Cherie Dimaline, Sarah Rath Seasons 1 Powered by Expand Collapse

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