The upcoming horror television series IT: Welcome to Derry acts as a prequel to the film duo It (2017) and It: Chapter Two (both directed by Andy Muschietti). The show revisits the infamous town of Derry, Maine, and explores the origins of the malevolent entity Pennywise.
Premiere Date: October 26, 2025 on HBO / streaming on Max.
Format: Nine-episode first season.
Setting: The year is 1962 — roughly 27 years before the events of the 2017 film.
Creative Team: Andy Muschietti will direct multiple episodes (including the pilot), with sister/producer Barbara Muschietti and screen-writer/show-runner Jason Fuchs onboard.
Cast Highlights: Returning as Pennywise is Bill Skarsgård. Other cast members include Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and more.
What the First Episode “The Pilot” Reveals
In the pilot of IT: Welcome to Derry, the tone is immediately set: suburban Americana hides unsettling darkness. Some key moments:
We meet Matty Eckhardt’s character, a troubled adolescent who becomes ensnared in sinister events shortly after arriving in Derry.
A supernatural “childbirth”-horror sequence signals that the show leans hard into visceral imagery.
The recognizable motif of voices in bathroom pipes returns, echoing the original film(s).
Meanwhile, Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) arrives from the Korean War era, setting up intersecting story threads of racial tension, military secrecy, and small-town dread.
The episode ends on a brutal note — not all characters survive, and the geography of fear is quickly established as broad, not just personal.
This mix of coming-of-age drama + horror spectacle is very much in line with the tone of the Muschietti films.
Why This Prequel Matters
Extension of the Universe: While the films covered 1980s Derry and the Losers’ Club, this series goes back to earlier “interludes” from the original novel by Stephen King — specifically Derry’s history in 1962.
Return of the Creative Lead: Having Andy Muschietti at the helm keeps faith with the look and feel of the films.
New Perspectives: The show introduces new characters and dimensions — for example, the racial context of a Black family moving into a predominantly white town in 1962, which adds social-horror layers.
Narrative Depth: It promises to explore why Pennywise resurfaces every 27 years and the systemic horrors that allow such evil to endure.
What to Expect – Strengths & Potential Pitfalls
Strengths:
Rich production design and atmosphere.
Strong horror set pieces.
Familiar mythos with fresh angles (origin story, social context).
Potential Pitfalls:
A prequel carries risk of over-familiarity: viewers may wonder if it adds meaningful innovation or merely retreads known territory.
Balancing character depth with horror spectacle can be challenging in ensemble casts.
Managing expectations: because the films had a finite arc, the series must justify its existence beyond just nostalgia.
FAQs
A: The series premieres on October 26, 2025 on HBO in the U.S., and streaming on Max.
A: Yes. It is a prequel to those films, set in the same fictional town of Derry, Maine, and directed/produced by the same team.
A: Yes, Bill Skarsgård reprises his role as Pennywise in this series.
A: The first season is slated for nine episodes.
A: The main setting is the year 1962, which is 27 years before the events of the 2017 film.
A: Yes — the creative team has indicated plans for a three-season arc, exploring further time periods such as 1935 and 1908 in Derry’s history.
A: While the series is designed to stand on its own in many respects, having seen the 2017/2019 films will deepen appreciation of the mythos and callbacks.
Final Thoughts
For fans of the It franchise, IT: Welcome to Derry offers a meaningful expansion rather than just a rehash. With its early 1960s setting, rooted social themes, and the return of Pennywise under the stewardship of the Muschiettis, the series has the potential to both terrify and reshape how we view Derry’s darkness. If you’re drawn to horror that blends mythic scale with intimate fear, this is one to mark on your calendar.