Andy Muschietti Confirms IT: Welcome to Derry Fog is Not Linked to The Mist

The eerie fog that consumed the town of Derry in the IT: Welcome to Derry season finale had fans buzzing with a major theory. Many believed the supernatural weather was a direct link to another classic Stephen King story, The Mist. Now, the show’s director, Andy Muschietti, has spoken directly to set the record straight, officially debunking the popular crossover idea.

The Finale Fan Theory Explained

In the final episode of IT: Welcome to Derry, titled Winter Fire, the ancient entity Pennywise breaks free from its ancient prison. As it unleashes its power, kidnapping children and spreading terror, a thick, unnatural fog blankets the entire town. For viewers, this visual was instantly familiar.

Stephen King’s 1980 novella The Mist, famously adapted into a 2007 film, centers on a small Maine town engulfed by a mysterious fog filled with otherworldly creatures. The similarity in setting—both stories take place in Maine—and the ominous, creature-hiding weather phenomenon led fans to speculate the shows were connected. Some theories suggested the destruction of a sacred totem in Welcome to Derry had ripped open a portal to the “Todash Darkness,” the interdimensional void from which The Mist creatures originate.

Creators Give a Direct Response

The speculation was put to rest by the show’s creators in interviews following the finale. Andy Muschietti, who directed the IT films and co-created the prequel series, was clear in his statement to Entertainment Weekly.

“There is no connection to The Mist,” Muschietti said. “I’m sorry to disappoint everyone with this.”

Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane provided a more detailed, lore-based explanation for why the two phenomena are separate. He pointed to the specific otherworldly origins of The Mist.

“Not to get too nerdy, but for that to be The Mist, there would’ve had to have been a portal opened up into Todash Darkness, specifically,” Kane explained.

Another executive producer, Jason Fuchs, described the fog simply as “the fog of Derry,” a visual representation of Pennywise itself stretching its power and testing its newfound freedom after centuries trapped.

The True Meaning of Derry’s Fog

So, if the fog isn’t from The Mist, what does it represent? According to Muschietti, the fog is the “language of It’s expansion”. He explained that the visual connects directly to the entity’s origin story shown earlier in the season. In a flashback, the creature arrives on Earth inside a celestial body, surrounded by a similar smoky substance.

“We decided to make that the language of It’s expansion,” Muschietti said. “If it wasn’t for the indigenous community in the 1600s, It would have expanded across the world, but It’s caged. Now that the pillars are lifted… I wanted to convey visually that force of super nature is expanding out.”

The fog is therefore a unique signature of Pennywise’s power, not a doorway to another King universe. It symbolizes the entity reaching out across Derry now that its mystical bindings are broken.

Other Stephen King Connections in the Series

While the Mist theory is off the table, IT: Welcome to Derry is firmly set within the larger Stephen King multiverse. The series has included several confirmed connections to other iconic King works.

A major link is the character Dick Hallorann, the psychic cook played by Chris Chalk. This is the same character from The Shining and Doctor Sleep, shown here decades earlier during his time in the U.S. Air Force. The series also features references to Shawshank Prison and the Juniper Hill Asylum, locations central to other King stories.

These intentional crossovers are what fueled hope for a Mist link. The show has successfully woven together elements from King’s vast library, making the fog theory a reasonable, though incorrect, guess by dedicated fans.

What’s Next for the Welcome to Derry Story?

The entire first season of IT: Welcome to Derry is available to stream on HBO Max. While plans for future seasons have not been officially confirmed, Muschietti has expressed a broad vision for the series, potentially exploring other time periods in Derry’s cursed history.

Separately, Muschietti also confirmed that an old project is still on his mind: a massive supercut of his two IT films. He stated that combining IT and IT Chapter Two into one long film, including unused footage, is “still a big dream” of his, though work on the series has delayed the project.

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