Big surprise for Stephen King fans! Not recommended for people under 18, this HBO series takes place in the same world where this iconic film was rated 4.3 out of 5 and was released 45 years ago.

After a thunderous first episode that recalled the darkest (deliciously) hours of Stephen King’s novels, It: Welcome to Derry has a new surprise for fans of the undisputed master of horror.

In case it may have escaped some viewers, the appearance of the character Dick Halloran in Episode 2 has sparked an avalanche of debate and theories about the series’ universe and its connection to another classic by the author that you’ve definitely heard of!

Who is Dick Holloran?

An “average” African-American, Dick Halloran is a well-known character to fans of the Stephen King universe, appearing in no less than 3 of the author’s novels. If it is only mentioned that (1986) As one of the former inhabitants of the city of Derry, his role is much more central in what is probably the writer’s best-known novel: shines (1977).

Dick Halloran, played by Scatman Crothers in the Stanley Kubrick adaptation, is then head chef at the famous Overlook Hotel, who introduces Danny’s character to the powers of “The Shining”: a gift of clairvoyance that attracts the wishes of many ghosts of Christmas past.

Stephen King’s Multiverse?

If a character, now elderly, dies at the end of the novel shinesHis past was only hinted at before. A golden opportunity for the makers of It: Welcome to Derry, who ran into Stephen King’s open door.

Now played by actor Chris Chalk, Dick Holloran’s character is now cast as a soldier whose superiors use his gifts for a secret purpose. Enough about the world in which the series takes place, the origin of a number of theories that may hide other connections with the works of Stephen King! Do all these stories actually take place in the same universe? You’ll have to watch the rest of the series to find out!

This: Welcome to Derry is available on HBO Max, with a new episode every Monday.