Don't Miss This Classic Stephen King Film Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment

The series It: Welcome to Derry is packed with references to Stephen King's wide-ranging universe of narratives. Apart from the clear ties to It, the show showcases an explicit connection to The Shining through the appearance of the youthful Dick Hallorann. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, Welcome to Derry is weaving in another beloved King story which merits a revisit.

The Haunting Tale of The Shawshank Redemption

While Shawshank Redemption isn't typically considered a horror film, especially in contrast with a lot of King's other writing, it is a haunting story of a wrongfully convicted man condemned to spend the rest of his life inside a infamous penitentiary. And it's that very penitentiary that becomes important in this context, as the Shawshank facility possesses considerable history throughout King's fictional world — a tradition that continues in Welcome to Derry.

Among the stories that reference the prison are Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, as well as It. Via these narratives, we discover about the awful life inside the state penitentiary and several of those imprisoned within, including the boyfriend of one of Pennywise's early victims, who was convicted for robbery with a weapon.

Thus far, though, the majority we have discovered concerning Shawshank was through the perspective of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, portrayed by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. The character Andy winds up in Shawshank following being wrongly convicted, and finds himself beaten and raped by other prisoners, and taken advantage of by those in authority figures due to his financial knowledge. It takes him 28 years to dig his way out from Shawshank, before making his way "through a river of shit" to reclaim his liberty.

Shawshank's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry

In relation to It: Welcome to Derry, audiences first learned about the prison's inclusion via an initial preview for the series, in which a correctional transport was seen bearing the title displayed on its side. In episode 2, it is revealed who is probably destined for Shawshank.

Although it is known he was not responsible for the murders of children initially, Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), gets taken into custody for the crimes. A teaser for the next episode, "the upcoming installment," reveals an officer informing Hank in his cell, "Are you aware what they do to child murderers in Shawshank?"

The Implications for the Character and His Daughter

Given that the real murderer in Derry is a primordial entity originating elsewhere hunting and murdering kids, Hank's chances of clearing his name appear slim. Even should he does go in the prison and the audience do not see him inside, understanding what we do about that prison makes it clear that his time there would not be pleasant.

Crucially, though, this situation could threaten his daughter. He acts as her guardian. Terrible events are happening in the town that nobody, young or old, comprehends and she only has her recently formed of friends to rely on. She's going to need her dad in the coming episodes, but if the prison system has any say, she could be without help.

One thing seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to tunnel his way out.

Welcome to Derry episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.