The creators of "It: Welcome to Derry" have revealed how they executed the pilot episode's shocking twist ending that left most of the show's young characters dead in a movie theater massacre.

The brutal scene was designed to send an unmistakable message to viewers that no one is safe in the world of Pennywise the Clown.​

Director Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti, who helmed the two recent "It" films, explained that the strategy behind the shocking ending was intentional and carefully planned. Muschietti said that the goal was to create an event that would instill in audiences the sense that "nothing is safe in this world." The episode introduces a group of young characters who appear to be the new version of the Losers Club, only to have most of them brutally killed by the end of the first hour.​

The twist came as a product of collaboration between the Muschiettis and showrunners Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane. Fuchs, who wrote the pilot episode, revealed that the massacre was developed after the original script had been sent to HBO executives. When the creative team pitched the full series, Andy stood up theatrically as Fuchs described the scene where all the kids except Lilly and Ronnie would be killed. He then pulled down paper covering a wall of headshots to reveal an entirely different group of child actors who would become the show's actual protagonists.​

Barbara compared the shocking moment to the infamous Red Wedding from HBO's "Game of Thrones," calling it "our Red Wedding." She explained that the team wanted to bring subversion to the story and avoid falling into predictable patterns, especially since they were maintaining the same tone and style as the films. The producers initially believed they would have to fight the network to keep such a brutal ending, but HBO executives were supportive and even cheered the decision.​

The pilot episode opens with the disappearance of Matty Clements, who is killed by a demonic winged baby creature after being picked up by a possessed family. Four months later, his classmates Teddy, Phil, Susie, Lilly, and Ronnie investigate his disappearance. The episode builds toward what seems like a familiar "It" narrative, with these children appearing to be the story's main protagonists. However, in the climactic theater scene, the same mutant baby that killed Matty emerges from the movie screen showing "The Music Man" and brutally kills Phil, Teddy, and Susie, leaving only Ronnie and Lilly as survivors.​

Fuchs recalled seeing the HBO executives' shocked faces during the pitch and feeling confident that if they could replicate that reaction with audiences at home, they would have a satisfying ending to the first episode.

Andy added that the twist also served to subvert viewer expectations after completing two films, preventing audiences from becoming too comfortable with the story's patterns. The director emphasized that the intention was to trick audiences into thinking these were the new Losers Club members before pulling the rug out from under them.​

"It: Welcome to Derry" premiered on HBO and HBO Max on October 26, 2025, and serves as a prequel to the 2017 "It" film and its sequel. Set in 1962, the series explores Pennywise's origins and the history of Derry, Maine, with Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as the demonic clown. The first season consists of eight episodes that will air weekly through December 14.

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It, Series, Show, Hbo, Shocking