It: Welcome To Derry Episode 1 Pokes Fun At Director Andy Muschietti's Worst Movie

2017's "It" and its sequel, 2019's "It Chapter Two," were wildly successful in re-introducing Pennywise — a demonic entity haunting the town of Derry — to the masses. Bill Skarsgård expertly brought the dancing clown to life to the point where it is tough to narrow down Pennywise's scariest moments in those two films. That's a testament to director Andy Muschietti, who also directed the first episode of the new HBO Max series "It: Welcome to Derry." The opening scene of "Welcome to Derry" is truly horrific, and there are plenty of nods to the "It" novel from Stephen King. But the first episode also includes a reference to another Muschietti project that most people probably don't remember very fondly.

In one scene, Teddy Uris (Mikkal Karim-Fidler) is eating dinner with his family when he asks about whether or not someone could be held in the sewers, referencing his belief that Matty Clements (Miles Ekhardt) could be down there. His father scolds him for asking about such nonsense and then takes a comic book Teddy has brought to the table to declare, "Reality is terrifying enough as it is, cut it out with the fantasy." He tosses the book aside, but those with eagle eyes will notice that it's no random comic: it's "The Flash" #123. Muschietti directed 2023's "The Flash," which bombed at the box office. The inclusion of "The Flash" #123 is no coincidence — it features two Flashes from different realities. That's similar to the plot of 2023's "The Flash," where two Flashes (both played by Ezra Miller) also meet.

2023's "The Flash" had a very troubled production. The movie was announced in 2014 and went through numerous writers and directors in the coming years. Andy Muschietti was only brought on board around 2019, seemingly in a bid to bring the film across the finish line after the DC Extended Universe was left in a state of disarray following the calamitous reception to 2017's "Justice League." Then there were the myriad controversies surrounding star Ezra Miller. All of this pointed to a film coming out that no one really had much interest in. It still garnered a 63% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but even the positive reviews had some fairly harsh words. 

Right before "It: Welcome to Derry" came out on HBO Max, The Playlist interviewed Muschietti, who expressed his fondness for "The Flash." He said: "We love the movie. We, you know, we gave it our blood, sweat, and tears all the way to the end. And I watched it, like a week ago, and loved it again." He clearly hasn't been turned off superhero properties, as Muschietti is set to direct a new Batman movie titled "The Brave and the Bold." In fact, later in the first "Welcome to Derry" episode, Teddy's seen reading another comic: "Detective Comics" #298, which sees Batman battle the villain Clayface. It's an appropriate nod due to Clayface's shapeshifting abilities (something Pennywise is capable of), and there's also a "Clayface" DC Universe movie set to come out in 2026. Corporate synergy at its finest!