The sewers are rumbling again and Pennywise is hungry.
HBO’s upcoming series IT: Welcome to Derry drags us back into the nightmare this fall, serving as a prequel to IT: Chapter One. Set in 1962, the show unpacks the town’s cursed history and offers a deeper dive into the origins of Stephen King’s most sadistic creation.
You can check the trailer out here:
A haunting prelude
The teaser opens with a young Black family arriving in Derry, Maine, hopeful, wide eyed, and completely unaware they’ve stepped into the belly of something ancient and cruel. What follows is pure unease: icy neighbours, disappearing children, and the slow, creeping sense that something beneath the town isn’t just watching… it’s waiting to feed.
Yes, Bill Skarsgård is back as Pennywise, and his eerie charisma is as skin crawling as ever. The return of that twisted smile alone will be enough to haunt your dreams.
Behind the curtain
Welcome to Derry is helmed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, the team responsible for the modern IT films. Andy directs multiple episodes, ensuring that the series stays visually tethered to the unnerving vibe of its cinematic siblings.
The cast features Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, James Remar, Chris Chalk, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso, a solid lineup ready to bleed, panic, or both. There’s serious talent behind and in front of the camera, and it shows.
Expanding the fear
Spanning nine episodes, Welcome to Derry isn’t just another prequel cash-in. It aims to build on King’s lore, digging into the sinister patterns of Derry’s past and the cyclical nature of its terror. Think psychological horror meets supernatural dread, with the same cosmic rot that made IT so damn unforgettable.
IT: Welcome to Derry hits HBO and Max this fall. Pack your raincoat. The storm’s coming. And this time, it doesn’t care if you believe.
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