It: Welcome to Derry Director Explains the Mysterious Finale Fog

Throughout its eight-episode debut, It: Welcome to Derry has been packed with subtle nods and hidden references, many of which pay tribute to Stephen King's vast universe. From sly mentions of Carrie to echoes of The Shawshank Redemption, the show has delighted fans with its attention to detail. In the final episode, as General Shaw and his troops force the entity known as It out of its decades-long slumber, a thick fog rolls into Derry. The scene immediately calls to mind the ominous mist from King's 1980 novel The Mist, where survivors are trapped in a supermarket, hiding from deadly creatures lurking outside.

Unraveling the Fog’s True Origin

Despite the visual similarities, director Andy Muschietti has clarified that the fog in the finale isn’t meant as a direct nod to The Mist. In a recent interview, he explained,

"Of course, in The Mist, they say that the mist comes from the Todash Field, the same interdimensional plane that It is from,"

adding,

"So it's unrelated, but it's also related."

Muschietti wanted the fog to serve a specific purpose in the story, visually representing the spread of the clouds surrounding the Dead Lights. He pointed out that when the meteor crashes into Derry in episode four, viewers see the three Dead Lights swirling around a cloud of fog, establishing the physical presence of this mysterious force.

Visual Storytelling and King’s Multiverse

The director’s approach was to use the fog as a way to show the growing influence of the Dead Lights, rather than as a direct homage to another King story.

"For this story, I wanted to show that it is an expansive force,"

Muschietti explained. The connection to the Todash Field, a concept that links several of King’s works, adds another layer to the show’s mythology, blurring the lines between separate stories while maintaining their unique identities.

Looking Ahead to Season Two

While a second season of It: Welcome to Derry hasn’t been officially announced, all signs point to more episodes on the horizon. After the finale, Muschietti shared his vision for a three-season arc, revealing that the next chapter will take place during the Great Depression in Derry. He teased the return of familiar faces, though viewers will meet younger versions of some characters alongside new additions to the cast.

"It takes place during the Depression in Derry, and there are some new characters and some characters from this season as well, but younger versions of them,"

he said. For now, fans can catch the first season streaming on HBO Max.