The finale cameo in It: Welcome to Derry connects to a scene in It: Chapter Two.
It: Welcome to Derry creators Andy Muschietti and Jason Fuchs have explained how Sophia Lillis’ cameo enhances the meaning of the two It films.
Lillis made a cameo as Beverly Marsh in the epilogue scene of the season 1 finale, titled Winter Fire, which was released on HBO Max last week.
Speaking about the scene, Muschietti, who helmed the finale, told Entertainment Weekly in a new interview: "It was important for me to make a stronger connection to the movies. The idea of bringing Beverly back in the epilogue was a last-minute idea."
Set before the events of IT: Chapter One (2017) and Chapter Two (2019), the epilogue sees Beverly and her father grieving her mother after she has committed suicide at Juniper Hill asylum.
Ingrid (Joan Gergson), now elderly and institutionalised, walks into the room and tells Beverly: “You know what they say about Derry; no one who dies here ever really dies”.
It’s the same line that Gregson’s Ingrid delivers to adult Beverly (Jessica Chastain) in the 2019 sequel.
Speaking about that link between It: Welcome to Derry and the 2019 sequel, Fuchs explained: "That scene takes on a different meaning when you go back and rewatch."
He added: "Beverly might not remember that encounter, but somewhere that’s deep in the recesses of her mind. Now you understand why It would choose that form to take. This is a deep-seated memory of hers. The most traumatic moment of her life is linked to an early encounter with Mrs. Kersh."
It: Welcome to Derry is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
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