A Key Character From THE SHINING Plays a Big Role in IT: WELCOME TO DERRY
The newest trailer for HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry confirms that the series will include a familiar character from another corner of Stephen King’s universe: Richard “Dick” Hallorann, the psychic chef from The Shining.
Hallorann first appeared in King’s 1977 novel The Shining as the head chef at the Overlook Hotel. He’s the one who recognizes Danny Torrance’s psychic abilities and senses when Jack Torrance falls under the influence of the hotel’s evil spirits.
Over the years, Hallorann has been brought to the screen several times, first by Scatman Crothers in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film, and later by Carl Lumbly in Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep. Now, with Welcome to Derry set more than a decade before The Shining, the role has been passed on to Chris Chalk, who will play a younger version of the character.
The trailer hints at Hallorann’s role in the story, showing him befriending a family that has just arrived in Derry, Maine. He warns them that the town has a dark history of disappearances and ominously says, “something is coming.”
Just like in The Shining, this younger Hallorann also seems to possess psychic abilities, tying him directly into the supernatural forces at play.
Now, Hallorann’s presence in Welcome to Derry isn’t just a clever Easter egg, it’s rooted in King’s novels. In IT (1986), Hallorann is revealed to have been an army cook at The Black Spot, a Black nightclub in Derry.
The club later becomes the site of a horrific tragedy when it is burned down by white supremacists, a story that will be a major part of the new series.
Director Andy Muschietti teased this pivotal moment in an interview, calling it “a big paroxysm of violence” that reflects “the darkness of the story” and “the violence that happened in America.”
When asked why Hallorann was brought into the show, Muschietti explained, “For us, it was a no-brainer. Dick was an outstanding character, not only because he’s in The Shining but also because [his] power is definitely ingrained in the story.”
With Pennywise’s terror stretching back centuries and now this direct tie to The Shining, IT: Welcome to Derry is shaping up to be an exciting Stephen King adaptation. Fans won’t have to wait long to see how Hallorann fits into the story, as the series premieres October 26 on HBO.