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Marvel and DC have all the fun these days with connected universes. It's almost enough to make your forget that one of the largest connective universes in popular culture exists not in comics at all, but in the connected works of Stephen King. Yes, a great deal of King's works take place in the same universe (not just Maine), from his novel IT to his sweeping series The Dark Tower - which is why we're so excited to share that HBO's upcoming IT: Welcome to Derry will actually feature elements of the Western-coded fantasy saga.

Just don't go getting too excited about more King crossovers to come.

The news comes form an interview that Welcome to Derry co-creator (and helmer of the cinematic IT dulogy) Andy Muschietti did with Entertainment Weekly. In it, self-proclaimed King obsessive Muschietti revealed that that godlike entity Maturin, who takes the form of a giant Turtle and is vital to the plots of both the Dark Tower and IT, would feature in the series.

(Not for nothing, but it seems like Muschietti might be close to confirming a theory about the series Popverse proposed all the way back in May.)

"There’s a handover to a second season and a third season," says director Muschietti, who also helmed Warner Bros. IT duology, "That will explore more of the other side [that is, the supernatural world in whihc the Dark Tower resides] because it’s really connected to the origin of It and the reasons why It is on this plane of existence. The idea, on the longer arc of the series, is to open the door to that bigger, wider mythology to see the iceberg under the water and everything that is not perceivable by humans. I can’t tell you too much about seasons 2 and 3, but we are gonna see more of the mythology and the world that is behind the veil."

As enticing as that is (I can just feel you foaming at the mouht, Tommyknocker stans), the creatives behind IT: Welcome to Derry want you to keep in mind that this show lives up to its name. This is a tale about the dark origins of Pennywise, as producer Brad Caleb Kane (who will also be tackling the Friday the 13th mythology with A24's Crystal Lake series) was sure to highlight.

"The decision was made early on," Kane said, "To tell a story that's specific to Derry in 1962 and not necessarily do a lot of cross-pollination in the King Universe. There is a specific show for that. It's called Castle Rock, and you can go watch it."

Speaking as someone who thinks Castle Rock is deeply underrated as a horror TV series, I'd second that piece of advice. Especially since you're likely gonna see more Bill Skarsgård than in Welcome to Derry season 1.

Castle Rock is streaming now on Hulu. IT: Welcome to Derry premieres on HBO Max October 26. 

In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." Join Popverse's weekly explorations of the best opening moments of horror cinema in The Coldest Open, and then check out:

• The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
• The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
• All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond

And much gore. Er, more. Much more.