The new HBO series IT: Welcome to Derry is expanding the Stephen King universe by bringing a younger version of Dick Hallorann to the screen. Known as the kindly chef with psychic abilities from The Shining, Hallorann is now a young man trapped in a dangerous military operation in the 1960s. While the show reveals his current mission, it leaves a big question unanswered: how did the U.S. Army discover his powers and force him into service? According to the actor who plays him, the story begins with a simple game of cards.
How The Army Found Dick Hallorann
In IT: Welcome to Derry, Hallorann is not working at the Overlook Hotel. He is an enlisted man in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at the Derry Air Force Base in the early 1960s. His official job involves driving officers, but his real value to the military is his psychic power, known as “the shine.” General Shaw’s Operation Precept is using Hallorann to track a mysterious, fear-generating weapon buried beneath Derry—which is the entity Pennywise.
The series shows Hallorann under constant pressure from Army officials, who threaten him when he struggles to locate the weapon. This suggests his involvement is not voluntary. While the show has not yet filmed a scene showing his recruitment, actor Chris Chalk has explained the backstory discussed by the creative team, including director Andy Muschietti.
“I think [Andy Muschietti] would still stick to this, but we talked about a card game,” Chalk told The Hollywood Reporter. “He was down South, playing a card game and winning too much. Then, through some sort of setup, they realized, ‘Oh, this guy’s kind of special. Lock him up, don’t care.’ Eventually, they found a use for him.”
Chalk added that in his imagination, Hallorann was then locked away for a period until the military needed his unique skills, treating his service as a way to earn freedom from a makeshift prison. This unofficial backstory paints a picture of a man whose gift was discovered by accident and who was then forced into government service.
Hallorann’s Role in Operation Precept
The military’s goal in Derry is directly tied to the Cold War. General Shaw believes the entity beneath the town can be harnessed as a ultimate psychological weapon. He explains that it could “scare a man badly enough to kill him where he stands,” giving America a decisive edge.
Hallorann’s shine is the key to finding it. His abilities allow him to sense “beacons” surrounding the weapon’s location. The mission, however, is extremely dangerous. In one instance, Hallorann nearly jumped out of an airplane while deep in a psychic trance. The operation leads the team to the Well House on Neibolt Street, where a disastrous confrontation with Pennywise results in multiple soldier deaths.
During this mission, Pennywise attacks Hallorann on a psychic level, forcing open the “mental box” he uses to lock away traumatic memories and hostile spirits—a power first detailed in King’s novel Doctor Sleep. This violation leaves Hallorann in a vulnerable, near-catatonic state, with his protective abilities temporarily broken.
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Connecting to Stephen King’s Larger Universe
Dick Hallorann is the most direct link between IT: Welcome to Derry and the wider Stephen King universe. The character first appeared in King’s 1977 novel The Shining and was famously played by Scatman Crothers in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film. He also appears in the sequel Doctor Sleep, both in the novel and the 2019 film adaptation, where he mentors an adult Danny Torrance.
This is not Hallorann’s first connection to Derry in King’s lore. In the original 1986 IT novel, a historical interlude mentions a younger Dick Hallorann. He was present during the fire at The Black Spot, a club for Black soldiers that was burned down by a racist group in the 1930s. Using his shine, Hallorann helped save people from the blaze, including Will Hanlon—the father of future Losers’ Club member Mike Hanlon.
The HBO series adapts this connection but shifts the timeline. Instead of the 1930s, the show is set in 1962, and Hallorann interacts with Leroy Hanlon, who is Mike’s grandfather. The creators have indicated that the infamous Black Spot fire will be a central event in the series, suggesting Hallorann’s heroic actions from the book will be a key part of his storyline.
IT: Welcome to Derry has been planned as a multi-season story. If it continues, viewers can expect to learn more about Hallorann’s past, including the potential resolution of how he was captured and the secrets of his mysterious box. The next episode, In the Name of the Father, is scheduled for release on HBO Max on November 30, 2025. The series finale is set to air on December 14, 2025.
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