‘Welcome to Derry’ Reveals a Surprising Stephen King Character — Here’s Why

Chris Chalk Reimagines Dick Hallorann for IT: Welcome to Derry

IT: Welcome to Derry is more than a Pennywise origin story — the series weaves a tapestry of Stephen King connections throughout its narrative. The newest trailer teases a nod to another King classic, The Shawshank Redemption, and confirms that the show will also feature Dick Hallorann, the telepathic chef introduced in The Shining.

Hallorann, originally portrayed on film by Scatman Crothers in Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation, is reinterpreted here as a younger military man stationed near Derry, played by Chris Chalk (known for Godzilla vs. Kong). His inclusion isn’t merely an Easter egg — Hallorann’s gift, often called “the shining,” is an integral thread in King’s universe, and his backstory in the 1986 IT novel helps shape this prequel’s emotional core.

Chalk drew extensively from existing material while building his performance, but he made a deliberate effort to craft an original take rather than imitate past portrayals. As he describes his approach, he absorbed whatever context he could find, then filtered it through his own instincts so the role would feel lived-in and authentic.

Over the years, three actors have inhabited Hallorann on screen: Scatman Crothers in Kubrick’s film, Melvin Van Peebles in the 1997 television miniseries written and executive produced by King, and Carl Lumbly in Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep, the follow-up adaptation based on King’s sequel.

With a foundation in theater, Chalk approaches character development methodically. He keeps a detailed workbook to trace motivations, physicality and emotional beats — a tool he uses to inhabit the role fully and make choices that feel personal rather than imitative.

His Hallorann reads as a soldier shaped by the burden of clairvoyance: restrained, occasionally wry, and capable of sudden, intense focus. That psychic attunement leaves him more sensitive to Derry’s rot — and to Pennywise, the town’s predatory force that feeds on fear and suffering.

In King’s original novel, Dick is introduced as an Army cook and a member of The Black Spot, an African American soldiers’ club in Derry that was destroyed in 1930 by the Legion of White Decency, a racist vigilante group in the town. Using his shining, Hallorann intervened during that atrocity and saved several people, including the father of Mike Hanlon. He is also one of the rare adults in Derry able to perceive Pennywise’s many guises.

The prequel seems poised to dramatize several flashbacks from the book that have never appeared on screen, making the 1986 IT novel a useful primer for viewers. If you want deeper context before IT: Welcome to Derry debuts on October 26, 2025, picking up a copy of the novel is time well spent.

Premiere date: October 26, 2025

Sources: Polygon — trailer coverage; 1997 miniseries (Wikipedia)

Source: Polygon