IT: Welcome to Derry has a fan theory that ties the show to the lore in a spine-chilling way involving Pennywise and It’s victims.
A new fan theory of why Pennywise eats its victims has cropped up on Instagram by @grace.mitscherlich, which gives us a spine-chilling IT: Welcome to Derry take.
The theory revolves around the Deadlights, the glowing orbs that have been featured heavily in It and It Chapter Two. Anybody caught in its deadlights (pun intended) is left in a trance for eternity, the theory says.
What adds the chilling factor is that he victims are trapped in a netherspace where time doesn’t move, virtually rendering them in an eternal loop of misery. The IG user’s theory coalesces to this being the sustenance of Pennywise.
Welcome to Derry Fan Theory Explains Pennywise Origins
The Deadlights are part of a cosmic universe outside the known one, known as the Macroverse, which is part of Stephen King’s lore. All of Pennywise’s forms, including the clown or spiders, are physical manifestations of the Deadlights.
Episode 4 of It: Welcome to Derry gave us the origins of how “It” came to Earth in a meteor crash, resulting in this parasitic alien life form taking over the woods that are now Derry.
Welcome to Derry has tied together multiple storylines of Stephen King’s, including The Shining and It. Major Dick Halloran uses the “shine”, a telekinetic ability, to try to identify the location of Pennywise, based on psychic signatures left behind by the victims of the demon.
IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 5 Pennywise Expectations
The trailer for It: Welcome to Derry Episode 5 has given us an explosion of the much-anticipated Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The previous episodes have built up his reveal very well, from the carnival to the slow floating of the red balloon. Here are key details of the show.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | IT: Welcome to Derry |
| Genre | Supernatural Horror |
| Based on | Stephen King’s 1986 novel “It” |
| Setting | Derry, Maine, 1962 (27 years before the first film) |
| Premise | A family moves to Derry as a young boy vanishes; dark events unfold, origins of Pennywise are explored. |
| Key Characters | Lilly Bainbridge, Major Leroy Hanlon, Marge, Teddy Uris, Phil Malkin, Matty Clements |
| Showrunner | Jason Fuchs |
| Directors | Andy Muschietti |
| Network | HBO |
| First Episode Release | October 26, 2025 |
| Season 1 Episode Count | 8 |
| Episode Release Schedule | Sundays at 9 PM E.T. (U.S.) |
| Notable Themes | Origins of Pennywise, Derry’s cursed history, cyclical evil, trauma, racism |
| Connection to IT Films | Serves as a prequel; explores Pennywise’s backstory, deepens Derry’s haunting lore |
Notably, the trailer gives us a look at Bob Gray, the human manifestation of It, who will become Pennywise the Dancing Clown. As racial violence and Cold War unrest grow, the creature is ready to feast on the town’s worst fears.
The dramatic escalation of events will be a turning point for Derry’s citizens and this show’s Loser Club. Bill Skarsgård looks particularly menacing, and his decade of experience playing the menacing clown will no doubt remind us how “fear runs deeper.”
What do you think of the Pennywise theory?
