It: Welcome to Derry fans think they’ve spotted a reference to forgotten Stephen King movie

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As a big Stephen King fan, I’ve been loving all the little connections in ‘Welcome to Derry’! It’s already full of nods to his other stories, and now people are thinking they’ve found another Easter egg – this time referencing one of his lesser-known horror books. It’s so cool to see these details!

This series is set 27 years before the events of the movie IT, revealing the origins of Pennywise’s connection to the town of Derry. It shows how the clown first began terrorizing the area and caused some of Derry’s most tragic moments.

The series expands on the clown’s history using sections from Stephen King’s book, and cleverly links to other King stories like ‘The Shining’ by including the character Dick Hallorann (played by Chris Chalk). There’s speculation that a future installment could tie into ‘The Mist,’ but what happens next is still unknown.

Sharp-eyed viewers believe they’ve spotted another hidden connection to a lesser-known Stephen King film in the fourth episode of ‘It: Welcome to Derry’.

It: Welcome to Derry fans think Leroy Hanlon is driving Christine

Episode four features Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) taking his son, Will (Blake Cameron James), on a fishing trip. Viewers have noticed his car strongly resembles Christine, the famously possessed vehicle from Stephen King’s novel and film.

A Reddit user jokingly wondered if the character Leroy was driving the car from the movie Christine, later adding that they recognized the vehicle after recently watching the film.

The 1958 red Plymouth Fury in this story is haunted and becomes obsessively possessive of its owner. It will eliminate anyone it perceives as a rival for the driver’s attention. It’s a story about an abusive relationship, but instead of a person, the abuser is a deadly car. The original book came out in 1983, and that same year, horror director John Carpenter adapted it into a film.

A Reddit user noted that the character Christine seemed forced into the new adaptation of ‘It: Welcome to Derry.’ Another user quickly pointed out that Christine actually is part of the original novel. Book readers will recall Christine as the car driven by the undead Belch Huggins when he gives Henry Bowers a ride to hunt down the Losers’ Club after they come back to Derry.

But unfortunately, Christine isn’t the car in It: Welcome to Derry.

Leroy Hanlon drives a Ford Falcon in It: Welcome to Derry, not a Plymouth Fury

Interestingly, in the upcoming series It: Welcome to Derry, Hanlon doesn’t drive the iconic Plymouth Fury. Instead, the show features a Ford Falcon, as confirmed by a recent image revealing details about the vehicle.

It’s understandable why people might confuse the two cars – they have very similar shapes, both are painted red with a white top. In fact, it would have been surprising if this car wasn’t a Plymouth Fury, leading some to believe it’s a subtle reference to the movie Christine.

Right now, the red car owned by the Hanlons will simply serve as a fun connection to the world of ‘The King,’ similar to how Bill Skarsgard showed up in the ‘Castle Rock’ TV show, but in a different role than Pennywise.

While you’re waiting for the new episode of ‘Welcome to Derry,’ check out what scene from the show frightened Stephen King the most. You can also discover a hidden reference to ‘The Running Man’ and find a list of the best horror films coming out in 2025.

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2025-11-17 21:19