[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Episode 5 of IT: Welcome to Derry.]
Summary
- ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ creators Andy and Barbara Muschietti are worldbuilders who like to establish a safe, collaborative set despite the horrors of the storytelling.
- Captain Pauly Russo’s shocking sewer sacrifice felt earned, but actor Rudy Mancuso wanted to do the moment justice.
- Mancuso is in the process of developing musicals with a twist, from ‘Bob: The Musical’ at Disney to a Muschietti-collaboration, plus a project with fiancée Camila Mendes.
Developed for television by filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti and co-showrunner Jason Fuchs, the HBO series IT: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to IT and IT Chapter Two as it delves deeper into the origins of the entity that permeates through the quaint town of Derry. Set in 1962, Francis Shaw (James Remar), a U.S. Air Force General who oversees the base near Derry, Maine, has set a plan in motion that requires the help of Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) and his psychic ability, along with Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), an Air Force Major who just moved his family with no knowledge of the town’s sinister secret.
In episode five, entitled “Neibolt Street,” Leroy decides to move his family to the military base to keep them safe before embarking on General Shaw’s operation in the sewers of Derry. But the entity is much more of a formidable foe than any of them could have imagined, as Leroy and Dick Hallorann had to face their greatest fears in unexpected ways. At the same time, the kids snuck away to head into the sewers themselves without telling anyone, so when Leroy came face to face with his son Will (Blake Cameron James) and thought it was his imagination, Captain Pauly Russo (Rudy Mancuso) stepped in to prevent tragedy while also making the ultimate sacrifice.
During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Mancuso discussed what it was like to shoot episode five, what he loves about collaborating with the Muschiettis, what he’s learned from shadowing Andy as a director, figuring out who Pauly would be, why he was intimidated by the scenes in the sewer, the poetic irony of how everything played out, and what he thought of that final moment. He also talked about having a few musicals in development, from Bob: The Musical at Disney, to something with the Muschiettis that he’s hoping will shake up the genre, to teaming up with his fiancée Camila Mendes again.
Rudy Mancuso Says That Working With Andy and Barbara Muschietti Is a True Collaboration
“It was the safest, most exciting place to work.”
Collider: You were in The Flash, so you already knew Andy and Barbara Mushcietti. What do you love about them as storytellers and filmmakers? What are they like to work with, as an actor, but also as someone like you who also directs?
RUDY MANCUSO: Andy and Barbara have become my family. That’s my older brother and sister now. We became very close over the last few years. I was a fan before I was a friend, and now to call them family is surreal and amazing. I think the thing that makes them great at what they do is also the thing that I love about them as people. The quality that makes them great people is the same quality that makes them great filmmakers. Aside from being geniuses, and their dedication and hard work, and being world builders, they’re kind and they’re generous. They’re not pompous. They’re not egotistical. It’s a true collaboration. They want everyone to feel good, safe and happy, which you wouldn’t expect when you watch this show or the movies. You’re like, “Whoever made this is a twisted motherfucker.” But they’re the most untwisted people in the world. I talk to Andy pretty much every single day and I see him many times a week. So, to be able to be a part of this iconic universe, led by these genius creatives who are also my family, it was the safest, most exciting place to work, especially for someone who acts but isn’t a full-time actor.
On the technical side of things, have you picked up anything from the way that Andy Muschietti works that you want to apply to your own work as a filmmaker?
MANCUSO: Of course. Every time I’m on a Muschietti set, I learn something. The magnitude of these worlds and sets are so high, beyond anything that I could ever fathom. It’s the top level and highest size of a production that you could ever witness, especially with something like Derry where every episode is essentially its own mini film. Andy’s attention to detail is obsessive. Attention to detail is a quality that I have, but in a different way. I’m very much that way with sound, music, and choreography. For him, it goes three layers deeper. He’s like, “That chair needs to move two inches to the left and tilt it, and it needs two more scratches.” I’m like, “What the fuck are you talking about?” But then, you watch the show or any of his films and you realize, “Oh, there’s an intention behind these obsessive decisions.” So, I’ve stolen little bits and pieces, and I’ve been inspired by little bits and pieces of watching him work. I shadowed him on The Flash, and I shadowed him on this. We’re very different in how we build worlds and how we direct. I come from more of an auditory perspective, and he’s thinking from a more visual perspective. I continue to learn from the master.
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What were you told about who this character would be, at the beginning? Did you know how things would play out with him, or did that continue to surprise you? How much did they let you in on?
MANCUSO: Quite a bit. I got lucky because I’m very good friends with Andy, so he told me a lot about what the ideas and plans were. But also, things were constantly changing and being re-adapted. Pauly Russo was a small character. An important one, but a small one. They staggered my shooting days, so I would be there for a week and then leave for a month. And then, I’d come back for two weeks and leave for a month. And then, I’d come back for two days. And every time I came, it was a different iteration of the pages, and they were making decisions in real time. So, I knew enough about this character. Very simply put, it was a heightened version of who I already am. I’m half Brazilian and half Italian. Pauly Russo is an Italian American Air Force officer and pilot, alongside Leroy. He’s quick, he’s witty, he’s temperamental, he’s reactive, he’s funny. He tries to slide in little jokes and comments where he can. That’s so different from who Leroy is, the character that Javon [Adepo] plays, which is why it’s pretty cool. He has a bit of a Napoleon complex because he’s smaller than most of the officers and his colleagues, and he makes up for it by outwitting people.
Rudy Mancuso Felt That Captain Pauly Russo’s Shocking Sacrifice in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Made Sense
“It’s always those people that are the least assuming that tend to make these grand decisions.”
Once you guys decide to go down into the sewer, nothing good can come of that. There’s just no way that can end well. What was your reaction to learning how that would turn out for your character? Not everybody would do something like what he does.
MANCUSO: That’s right. I knew fairly early that that was going to happen. It worried me a bit at first. I was intimidated by the idea of having to perform in that way because I’d never done it. It took Andy to really get me there and work me through it. It helped that it was a really big practical set. We were really in the water, and it was dark and the final moments of that shooting day, so tensions were high. Everyone was stressed. It was very uncomfortable. All those things played into that performance. I think I was able to channel something, but don’t ask me what that is. It was unexpected because he’s quick and quirky. He’s also scared and trying to talk his way out of this entire experience. You don’t expect that person to then make this big of a sacrifice. And yet, for me, it made sense. It’s always those people that are the least assuming that tend to make these grand decisions.
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EPs Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti also talk about that gruesome car ride, the movie theater massacre, and holding back on Pennywise.
It’s interesting because you have a bit of a fake-out moment before that, when Leroy thinks he’s seeing Charlotte, but she’s not really there. And then, his son is really actually there.
MANCUSO: That’s the poetic irony of it. Leroy is holding Pauly’s hand through this, teaching him the way. He’s like, “Whatever you see in here, whoever it is, whether it seems real or not, it’s not real.” And the irony is that it’s Pauly that realizes something that Leroy doesn’t and ends up having to protect him.
Rudy Mancuso Didn’t Know the Meaning of That Final Episode 5 Moment in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Either
“I have no idea.”
And then, there’s that moment at the end of the episode, with Dick Halloran wandering out of the sewer and you’re wandering in the woods. What was that moment? What was going on there?
MANCUSO: If only I knew. I have no idea. They just said, “Put these contacts in, walk in the woods, and be confused.” I didn’t even have to act. I was confused. And I didn’t know where I was going because the contacts were blinding. It didn’t take a lot of acting. You surrender to a vision, and you hope that it cuts well and that it’s received well, but it’s completely out of your hands. A lot of the questions that you probably have, the audience will have, and I also was having in real time.
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You’ve said that you would love to do a musical with your fiancée, Camila Mendes. I get excited anytime I hear that anyone wants to do a musical. Is that something you’re actively working to make happen? Do you want it to be an original musical? Do you want to do your own version of something that’s already been done?
MANCUSO: I have a few things percolating and in development at the moment. I have a musical set up at Disney, called Bob: The Musical, which is an original idea. I guarantee you that will be like nothing you’ve ever seen. And then, speaking of things that you’ve never seen, I have a musical that I’m doing with Andy and Barbara. I can’t share too many details, but it definitely flips the musical genre on its head. And then, Cami and I are also talking about a new musical idea. So, not only are you going to get one for me, you might get three. I believe in making anti-musical musicals. None of my musicals are your classic Gene Kelly, everyone-breaking-into-song type of musicals. It’s not even really La La Land to me. I’m trying to make musicals for people who hate musicals and who love them.
- Release Date
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October 26, 2025
- Network
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HBO
IT: Welcome to Derry airs on HBO and is available to stream at HBO Max. Check out the trailer:
