🔗 Share this article Make Time For This Classic Stephen King Movie Prior to the Series' Upcoming Installment HBO's It: Welcome to Derry is packed with references to Stephen King's wide-ranging universe of narratives. Beyond the obvious links to the original story, the series also features an explicit link to King's famous novel through the cameo of the youthful future chef of the Overlook Hotel. Currently, as the narrative unfolds, It: Welcome to Derry is weaving in one more beloved tale from King that deserves another look. The Powerful Story of The Shawshank Redemption While Shawshank Redemption isn't typically classified as a horror film, particularly in contrast with a lot of the author's additional work, it remains a gripping story about an innocently imprisoned individual sentenced to live the rest of his life in a notorious penitentiary. It is this specific penitentiary which is central in this context, as Shawshank State Prison possesses significant history across King's fictional world — a pattern that continues within Welcome to Derry. Among the tales that reference Shawshank include Dolores Claiborne, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, 11/22/63, and It. Through these narratives, we discover about the terrible life at Shawshank State Prison and several of the inmates there, such as the boyfriend of one of Pennywise's early victims, who was convicted of armed robbery. So far, however, the majority we've learned concerning Shawshank has been through the perspective of the protagonist from The Shawshank Redemption, played by the actor Tim Robbins in that 1994 film. Andy ends up at the prison following his wrongful conviction, then finds himself beaten and abused by fellow inmates, and taken advantage of by the officials in power for his expertise in finance. He requires him 28 years to dig his way out of the prison, before making his way "through a river of shit" to take back his liberty. The Prison's Appearance in It: Welcome to Derry Regarding It: Welcome to Derry, viewers first learned of Shawshank's involvement from an early trailer for the show, where a prison bus was seen with the name painted on the side. In episode 2, it is revealed who is likely headed to Shawshank. Although it is known he did not responsible for the child deaths in the first episode, the character Hank Grogan (played by Stephen Rider), dad to Ronnie (Amanda Christine), is arrested for those offenses. The preview for the next episode, "Now You See It," shows a guard telling a jailed Hank, "Are you aware what they do to kiddie killers at that prison?" The Implications for Hank and Ronnie Given that the actual murderer in Derry is an ancient power originating elsewhere hunting and killing children, Hank's chances of clearing his name appear slim. And even if he ends up to Shawshank and viewers do not see him there, knowing what is known about that prison indicates that his time there would not be pleasant. More importantly, however, this situation could threaten Ronnie. Hank is her protector. Horrible things are happening around Derry that nobody, young or old, understands and she just has her new group of friends to rely on. She will require her dad in the coming episodes, however should Shawshank plays a role, she could be without help. A single fact seems clear: Hank lacks three decades to dig to freedom. It: Welcome to Derry the first two episodes are currently available via the streaming service. New episodes air weekly each Sunday.