Pennywise won't be the only familiar face roaming Derry. It: Welcome to Derry star Chris Chalk teases the return of The Shining's Dick Hallorann

Pennywise won't be the only familiar face roaming Derry.

It: Welcome to Derry star Chris Chalk teases the return of The Shining's Dick Hallorann

Pennywise won't be the only familiar face roaming Derry.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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October 12, 2025 4:55 p.m. ET

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'It: Welcome to Derry' star Chris Chalk plays Dick Hollorann. Credit:

Brooke Palmer/HBO

Pennywise won't be the only familiar face greeting *It* fans when *Welcome to Derry *debuts later this month.

The prequel to Andy Muschietti's two Stephen King-based movies is bringing its audience all the way back to 1962, a whopping 27 years before the Losers Club first faces the horrors of the dancing clown. And alongside a new generation of characters, fans of the wider King-verse might be surprised to see a certain member of the Overlook hotel staff come face-to-face Pennywise.

That's right, Dick Hallorann (now played by Chris Chalk) is back, facing off against a brand new set of horrors.

During a Saturday morning panel at New York Comic Con, *Welcome to Derry* stars Chalk, Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, James Remar, Stephen Rider, and Kimberly Guerrero previewed what's to come in the prequel series. When asked about his arc in the show, Chalk teased Dick's return, warning fans of *The Shining *that he won't exactly be the wise-old guide that they know and love.

"Dick is in Derry because Dick f---d up," Chalk told the crowd at NYCC. "And that's the truth. You'll see the show and you'll get that."

'It: Welcome to Derry' star Chris Chalk explains Dick Hallorann's unexpected role.

Not only is Dick dealing with his own problems, but he also wants nothing to do with the entity terrorizing Derry.

"Dick thinks all of these people are corny, he doesn't respect a single one of them, and that's the journey of Dick," Chalk teased. "The Dick you know is super nice.... Good luck with *this* Dick."

Prior to Chalk, Dick was played by Scatman Crothers in Stanley Kubrick's* The Shining*, Melvin van Peebles in the '90s miniseries penned by King, and Carl Lumbly in Mike Flanagan's *Doctor Sleep*. As the head chef at the Overlook, he memorably took an interest in Danny Torrance, recognizing his "shine" thanks to his own psychic gift. In the sequel, Dick reconnects with Danny and his mother, Wendy.

'It: Welcome to Derry' screens first 10 minutes of premiere at Comic-Con

'It: Welcome to Derry' stars introduce the Hanlon family and horrors of the 1960s (exclusive)

By that point, Dick is so well-acquainted with his powers that he serves as a mentor to Danny, guiding him through the use of his "shine." But *Welcome to Derry* takes place years before Dick is ready to handle any of that.

"The thing that Dick fears is himself," Chalk teased of his role in the prequel. "You're gonna meet him at a stage when he has a different relationship with his internal self, with his spiritual world and his biggest fear is himself and losing control."

As for those wondering how Dick made the jump from *The Shining *to *It*, Chalk said that he's already been asked that question a million times — and if anything, it just helps him weed out the casual fans from the absolute diehard.

"When people ask that question I go, 'You didn't read the book! You're not a big fan, are you?,'" he quipped.

Scatman Crothers in 'The Shining' and Carl Lumbly in 'Doctor Sleep' both as Dick Hallorann.

Warner Bros;Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

Backing him up, *Welcome to Derry* executive producer Barbara pointed out that Dick Hallorann indeed appears in King's original *It* novel. This time, besides proving his penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Dick's "shining" power may prove crucial to understanding the dark history of Pennywise's origins — which is ultimately the throughline for the show.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

*It: Welcome to Derry* uses the book's five interludes as a blueprint to explore what makes Pennywise tic. According to series director and producer Andy, it's "a hidden story, a story that is not told forward but a story that is told backward and has a final conclusion — the events in which *It* becomes Pennywise."

Muschietti added, "Of course, there's more to it. There's a reason and a secret why we're telling the story backward. I can't tell you now. I guess you have to see the show."

*It: Welcome to Derry* will debut Oct. 26 on HBO Max.**

- New York Comic Con

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