The sewers of Derry are stirring once again. HBO’s upcoming prequel series IT: Welcome to Derry is diving headfirst into the sinister history of Stephen King’s most haunting creation, and this time, it’s not just about balloons and bikes. We’re going way back.
Set decades before the events of IT and IT: Chapter Two, the series serves as a direct expansion of Andy Muschietti’s big screen adaptations, unpacking the evil that’s plagued the town of Derry, Maine for generations. Muschietti returns as executive producer and showrunner, and he’s going deep, three seasons are planned, spanning 1962, 1935, and 1908. First stop: the ’60s.
IT: Welcome to Derry Trailer
If you’ve read King’s original 1986 novel, you know the deal. Pennywise isn’t just a creepy clown, he’s an ancient, interdimensional entity who surfaces every few decades to feast on fear (and children). While the films flirted with that mythology, Welcome to Derry looks set to finally crack it wide open.
Cast Highlights
- Bill Skarsgård reprises his iconic role as Pennywise.
- Jovan Adepo stars as Leroy Hanlon.
- Taylour Paige plays Charlotte Hanlon.
- Chris Chalk appears as a young Dick Hallorann — yes, the same Hallorann from The Shining.
- James Remar, Dean Yool, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso round out a large ensemble cast.
It’s looking like we can expect call backs, layered lore and possibly some psychic shining.
Release Info
IT: Welcome to Derry premieres on HBO (or Max, or whatever it’s calling itself now) in October 2025. No firm date yet, but releasing it on Halloween wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Final Word
While Muschietti’s IT films nailed the coming-of-age heart of the novel, they never quite captured the full weight of Derry’s cursed past. This series might finally give us the slow, creeping dread King’s Constant Readers have been waiting for.
If it lands, Welcome to Derry won’t just be a prequel, it’ll be a reckoning.
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