Educator Reframes Stephen King’s Derry Through Wabanaki Lens

Stephen King’s Derry has always been haunted. Now it’s being reimagined through a new cultural lens. John Bear Mitchell, a member of the Penobscot Nation and lecturer in Wabanaki studies at the University of Maine, is helping reshape the fictional town for HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry — grounding its horrors in Indigenous history and lived experience.

Mitchell serves as a cultural consultant on the series, which premiered in October 2025 and expands the mythology of Pennywise in a 1962-set origin story. Derry, King’s stand-in for Bangor, has long been a cornerstone of his fictional Maine. This time, Wabanaki characters are central to the story — not as background figures, but as protectors of the land confronting an ancient evil.

Reframing Horror Through History

Mitchell has spent years pushing back against the way Indigenous people are portrayed in film and television. On IT: Welcome to Derry, he worked across departments — from writers’ rooms to costume, hair, and makeup — to ensure Wabanaki culture was depicted with care and specificity. He also coached actors to avoid stereotypical accents and one-note characterizations.

The result is a version of Derry that avoids familiar horror shortcuts. There are no cursed burial ground clichés. Indigenous characters are not passive victims or stock antagonists. Instead, the series presents them as compassionate, grounded figures navigating both supernatural terror and the long shadow of colonization.

Mitchell has described horror as a powerful lens for exploring historical trauma. By weaving Wabanaki perspectives into Pennywise’s mythology, the show reframes fear itself — not just as a lurking monster, but as a legacy shaped by injustice and survival.

Expanding King’s Maine

King has always drawn deeply from Maine’s landscapes and communities, building an interconnected universe that stretches from Derry to Castle Rock. Recent adaptations continue to revisit and reinterpret that world, from the upcoming Carrie event series to Marvel’s new take on Stephen King’s N..

IT: Welcome to Derry adds another layer to that legacy. Actress Kimberly Guerrero, who plays Rose, has spoken about the responsibility of bringing real Indigenous history and emotion to a mainstream horror franchise. The series builds on King’s original 1986 novel while expanding the cultural context around Derry’s buried past.

For readers who grew up terrified of storm drains and red balloons, this evolution feels significant. King’s fictional town remains a place of nightmares — but it is also becoming a space where overlooked histories are acknowledged and honored. As Hollywood continues mining King’s vast bibliography, Mitchell’s work suggests that Derry’s future may be as much about reclamation as it is about fear.

Part of our full guide: Stephen King Adaptations in 2026: What Is Filming, What Was Cancelled and What Is Next