‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Fans Want Dick Hallorann Spinoff — Here’s What Chris Chalk Says…

The first season finale of It: Welcome to Derry brought the 1962 cycle of Pennywise’s (Bill Skarsgård) reign of terror on the title town to a grisly close but still left fans thirsty for more… and not just for the second and third seasons the creators are already hoping to do next, either. In fact, some fans are hoping to see a spinoff wholly dedicated to one of the standout characters of the season: Dick Hallorann (portrayed by Chris Chalk).

Season 1 of the It and It: Chapter Two prequel (and arguably sequel, based on the finale’s big twist) series focused on the Black Spot interlude, a small backstory included in Stephen King‘s written version of It that hadn’t been committed to screen before. Though in the book, Dick Hallorann is only briefly featured in the Black Spot massacre, the series’ first season focuses heavily on the character’s history in the town, revealing the hidden depths of his telepathetic talent known as the Shine.

Outside of It, Dick is, of course, an iconic King character in The Shining and its sequel Doctor Sleep, and the show honors that history with the character mentioning that he is heading to work as a chef at a hotel after the big Pennywise showdown in Derry. As fans of The Shining know, that will be a much more fraught experience for him than he expects as he leaves Derry.

For some fans, even the series’ deeper exploration of Dick Hallorann’s origin story isn’t enough, and they want a sequel series all about Dick Hallorann. On Facebook, for example, some fans have been sharing their desires to see more of Dick Hallorann after the events of It: Welcome to Derry.

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“Wouldnt be mad with the experience of Dick at the hotel before the arrival of Jack,” one fan wrote on a social media thread demanding a Dick Hallorann spinoff. Another added, “I’d love to see them do a show or movie of his time when he just gets to the overlook. Like a prequel to the shining. I loved the Way he portrayed dick halloran.” Suggested a third, “Dick was such a great character, Chris did an amazing job! Show him in London and slowly making his way to the Overlook!”

One fan even pointed to the seemingly-in-limbo Overlook spinoff that was once in development by J.J. Abrams as an opportunity to make this actually happen.

“Someone correct me if I’m wrong – weren’t there plans a few years back (maybe pre Covid now) for an “Overlook” series? I think Welcome to Derry had to happen (and be successful) for the door to open on a proper Shining prequel. Let’s go!!!”

Chalk himself is at least intrigued by the idea of returning to the world of Derry, as he told TV Insider of the time travel twist that could bring him back into the fold, “I’ve pitched it! I have also said, ‘Hey, Dick can kind of do anything. Now that he’s connected to the universe, there’s no need to disconnect him.'”

The actor also shared a theory about the character’s mindset after the events of Derry, saying, “You never want to wink at an audience, but the drama’s over. Let’s just have a little fun. And also, it’s like Chris Chalk’s own desire to see Dick manifest in his own show or something,” he said of the finale dialogue’s homage to The Shining. “So for me, it felt as aspirational as it did for Dick to go off into this unknown. But I’m lucky because I know in 20 or 30 years where he’s going to be, and I’m like, ‘Oh boy. What did he do to get there? What was the process to become this kind of more docile master of the Shine versus Dick now?’ Because even once the show’s over, he’s by no means fixed. He’s just broke. He just broke five minutes ago, so I predict that Dick is not well at all still.”

So, is a Dick Hallorann-centered spinoff with Chris Chalk something you hope to see after It: Welcome to Derry‘s first season’s conclusion? Why or why not?

It: Welcome to Derry, Streaming Now, HBO Max