You Should Watch This Legendary Stephen King Film Before It: Welcome to Derry's Upcoming Installment

HBO's Welcome to Derry is packed with connections to the author's extensive universe of narratives. Apart from the obvious links to It, the series also features a direct link to King's famous novel via the cameo of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Now, as the narrative progresses, It: Welcome to Derry is integrating another beloved King story which merits another look.

The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption

Although Shawshank Redemption may not be classified as a horror film, particularly compared to much of the author's additional writing, it remains a haunting story of a wrongfully convicted individual sentenced to live his remaining years in a notorious penitentiary. It is this specific institution which is important here, since the Shawshank facility holds significant history throughout King's stories — a tradition which persists in It: Welcome to Derry.

Among the stories that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Through these stories, we discover about the awful life inside Shawshank State Prison plus several of the inmates within, including the boyfriend of a of Pennywise's initial victims, who was found guilty for robbery with a weapon.

Thus far, however, the most we have discovered about the prison has been through the eyes of the protagonist in Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in the 1994 movie. Andy ends up in Shawshank after his wrongful conviction, then finds himself assaulted and abused by fellow inmates, and taken advantage of by the authority figures for his expertise in finance. It takes him 28 years to dig an escape route of the prison, prior to making his way "through a river of shit" to take back his freedom.

Shawshank's Role in Welcome to Derry

Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned about the prison's involvement from an initial preview for the series, where a prison bus was seen with the name painted on the side. During the second episode, it is revealed who is probably destined for the prison.

Though it is known he did not responsible for the murders of children in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), father of Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for those offenses. A teaser for the next episode, "Now You See It," reveals an officer telling Hank in his cell, "Do you know what happens to kiddie killers at that prison?"

The Consequences for Hank and His Daughter

Given that the actual murderer in the town is a primordial entity originating elsewhere preying on and murdering kids, Hank's prospects of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he ends up in the prison and viewers do not see him inside, knowing what we do regarding Shawshank indicates that his time there would be far from pleasant.

More importantly, however, this development would endanger his daughter. He acts as her guardian. Horrible things are occurring in the town that nobody, child or adult, understands and Ronnie only has her recently formed of friends to depend on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, but if the prison system plays a role, she could be without help.

A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks 28 years to tunnel his way out.

It: Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.