As a prequel to 2017’s “It” and 2019’s “It Chapter Two,” HBO’s “It: Welcome to Derry” fills in a whole lot of gaps left by the 2 motion pictures. The present can be essential viewing for followers of Stephen King’s novels because it’s set to delve deeper into the “macroverse” and the way in which during which the creator’s tales are all interconnected. One instance is the character of Dick Hallorann, who’s greatest referred to as the top chef of the Overlook Lodge in “The Shining” however who has roots in Derry. Within the 1962-set sequence, he is performed by Chris Chalk, who beforehand portrayed a younger Lucius Fox in Fox’s “Gotham” and Paul Drake in HBO’s short-lived “Perry Mason” origin sequence.
What’s Dick Hallorann doing in Derry? Effectively, any actual fan will certainly know that the character is talked about within the unique “It” novel and it appears for Chalk, explaining as a lot has turn into a little bit of a chore. The actor spoke at a New York Comedian Con panel (through Leisure Weekly) the place he mentioned, “When folks ask that query I’m going, ‘You did not learn the e-book! You are not a giant fan, are you?'”
The character of Hallorann originated in King’s 1977 novel “The Shining,” whereby he kinds a bond with the younger Danny Torrance as a consequence of their shared telepathic skills. He was famously performed by Scatman Crothers in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of the e-book, the place he took on the same mentor position. However in “It,” which was launched in 1986, we be taught that Hallorann was a member of the Derry group through the time during which “Welcome to Derry” is ready. As such, he is truly a reasonably large a part of the brand new sequence, which it appears will current a a lot totally different model of Hallorann than followers have seen beforehand.
Dick Hallorann was all the time part of Derry’s historical past
“Welcome to Derry” is overseen by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, who had been liable for the 2 “It” movies. With their new present, the pair had been desperate to develop upon the story they beforehand instructed. As Andy instructed SFX Journal, “What I would like the viewers to really feel is that every part they find out about It’s simply the tip of the iceberg.” Meaning we’ll be getting extra of an perception into the bigger Stephen King-verse, however we’ll additionally see how these tales are related on a extra native stage, as evidenced by Dick Hallorann’s inclusion.
The character has been portrayed by a number of actors over time. In ABC’s 1997 “The Shining” miniseries, Hallorann was performed Melvin Van Peebles, whereas Carl Lumbly portrayed the character’s ghost within the 2019 “Physician Sleep” adaptation (which tried to reconcile the conflicting views of Kubrick and King). The HBO present will subsequently give us our fourth on-screen Hallorann. As followers of the unique “It” will know, the character turned a part of Derry’s historical past when he co-founded the city’s Black Spot bar. After the bar is burned down by a white supremacist group, Hallorann used his Shining potential to rescue survivors, together with Will Hanlon, father of Mike Hanlon, the latter of whom would turn into one of many members of The Loser’s Membership in “It.”
Previous to the arrival of “Welcome to Derry,” we realized that this Black Spot sequence would truly be tailored as a part of the brand new sequence. That is sensible given the present’s deal with racial tensions in Derry, as showcased in the “Welcome to Derry” trailer. However it additionally signaled that Hallorann can be a distinguished a part of the brand new sequence, and now we all know extra about what to anticipate with Chalk’s portrayal.
Dick Hallorann is a perfect character for It: Welcome to Derry
Through the NYCC panel, Chris Chalk offered extra of an perception into how his youthful model of Dick Hallorann differs from the portrayals we have seen up to now. “Welcome to Derry” will current a youthful, extra rough-around-the-edges model of the character, with Chalk saying, “Dick thinks all of those [Derry residents] are corny. He does not respect a single one among them, and that is the journey of Dick.” As Chalk went on to say, “The Dick you realize is tremendous good … Good luck with this Dick.”
What precisely Hallorann is doing in Derry previous to co-founding the Black Spot is not fully clear, however Chalk addressed that query, too: “Dick is in Derry as a result of Dick f****d up, and that is the reality. You may see the present and you will get that.” In response to the actor, this model of Hallorann is coping with some inner struggles and is a great distance from the extra nurturing determine who guided Danny Torrance by means of his Overlook Lodge ordeal in “The Shining.” As Chalk put it, this youthful Hallorann is “at a stage when he has a unique relationship together with his inner self, together with his non secular world, and his greatest concern is himself and dropping management.”
With concern being such an integral theme to “It,” it is sensible for Hallorann to be such a giant a part of the upcoming sequence, which interrogates that theme each by means of Pennywise (performed by a returning Invoice Skarsgard) but in addition by means of the racial tensions in Derry and native residents utilizing concern as an intimidation tactic. Hallorann represents a great entry level for exploring these concepts. In that sense, it could be extra shocking if the Muschiettis left him out of the prequel sequence.
The premiere episode hits HBO on October 26, 2025.
