✅ IT: Welcome to Derry (2025) is a chilling supernatural horror prequel series set in the eerie town of Derry, Maine, delving into the origins of Pennywise and the dark events leading up to the first film. Scheduled for release in stunning high-definition formats, the series is optimized for seamless viewing across all modern devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops. With a storyline packed with terror, childhood fears, and Stephen King’s iconic lore, IT Welcome to Derry is set to be a must-watch for fans of psychological horror and the IT franchise.
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IT: Welcome to Derry
Created By: Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs
Writers: Stephen King
Stars: Bill Skarsgård, Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo
Country: United States of America
Genres: Mystery, Drama
Languages: English
Network: HBO
Overview: Prequel to IT beginning in 1960s also covering origins of Pennywise the Clown.
TMDb: View on TMDb
IT Welcome to Derry (2025) – Series Overview & Analysis-BollyFlix
Series Details
- Full Name: IT Welcome to Derry
- Language: English
- Budget: Not disclosed
- Revenue: HBO original; anticipated high viewership on Max
- Runtime: Approximately 45-60 minutes per episode, 8 episodes
- Release Date: October 26, 2025
- Genres: Horror, Supernatural, Thriller
- Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe
- Directors: Andy Muschietti (multiple episodes including pilot)
- Screenplay: Jason Fuchs, Brad Kane
- Studios & Producers: HBO, Warner Bros. Television; executive producers Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti
- Voice Cast: N/A
- Animation & Style: Live-action with atmospheric horror and 1960s period aesthetics
OFFICIAL IMAGES
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Image via HBO -
Image via HBO -
Image via HBO -
Image via HBO
Plot Summary
IT Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to the IT films, set in the 1960s in Derry, Maine, exploring the interlude chapters from Stephen King’s novel that detail the town’s dark history and the origins of Pennywise the Clown. The series begins with new residents arriving in the seemingly idyllic yet cursed town, where an ancient evil manifests through shape-shifting horrors preying on children’s fears. Drawing from events like the Black Spot massacre and earlier cycles of terror, it uncovers how Pennywise embeds itself in Derry’s fabric, manipulating residents and feeding on innocence. With a focus on ensemble characters facing supernatural threats, the narrative builds dread through psychological horror, community secrets, and escalating violence, expanding the franchise’s lore while honoring the book’s themes of fear, loss, and resilience against otherworldly malevolence.
Cast & Crew
Bill Skarsgård reprises his iconic role as Pennywise, bringing a hardcore intensity to the shape-shifting entity’s origins and terror. Jovan Adepo and Taylour Paige lead as new residents entangled in Derry’s horrors, with Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, and Madeleine Stowe adding depth to the town’s cursed inhabitants. Directed by Andy Muschietti across multiple episodes, including the pilot, with creators Jason Fuchs and Brad Kane, the team—rooted in the IT films—delivers a faithful expansion of King’s universe under HBO’s production, blending veteran horror craftsmanship with fresh faces for a chilling ensemble.
Critical & Audience Response
As an upcoming series premiering October 26, 2025, IT Welcome to Derry generates high anticipation among fans, building on the IT films’ legacy with promises of deeper lore exploration. Early buzz praises the trailer’s eerie atmosphere and Skarsgård’s return, though some express concerns over potential repetition of familiar tropes from the movies. Producers describe it as “eight movies” in quality, fueling excitement for its ambitious scope, while audiences on platforms like X debate its ability to capture King’s essence without retreading ground. No full reviews yet, but the franchise’s prior success suggests strong reception for horror enthusiasts eager for Pennywise’s backstory.
Direction & Cinematography
Andy Muschietti’s direction infuses the series with his signature blend of intimate terror and grand horror, directing key episodes to maintain continuity from the films while expanding Derry’s nightmarish canvas. Cinematography evokes the 1960s era with foggy, shadowed visuals that amplify the town’s claustrophobic dread, using dynamic shots to capture Pennywise’s manifestations and residents’ unraveling psyches. Though production delays tested the team, Muschietti’s vision promises a visually immersive prequel that heightens suspense through atmospheric tension and period authenticity.
Music & Background Score
Benjamin Wallfisch returns to score the series, crafting a haunting soundtrack that builds on his IT film work with ominous motifs and swelling dread to underscore Pennywise’s origins. Blending orchestral swells with eerie, childlike whimsy twisted into horror, the score heightens emotional and supernatural tension, promising to evoke the novel’s chilling atmosphere while innovating for television’s episodic format.
Visuals & Special Effects
The series’ visuals plunge viewers into 1960s Derry with practical sets and CGI-enhanced horrors, from Pennywise’s grotesque transformations to the town’s decaying underbelly. Special effects revive the clown’s nightmarish forms with visceral detail, blending period authenticity with supernatural spectacle to create immersive terror that expands the franchise’s iconic imagery.
Editing & Screenplay
Jason Fuchs and Brad Kane’s screenplay draws from King’s interlude chapters, weaving a multi-season arc across timelines like 1962, 1935, and 1908 to reveal Pennywise’s enduring curse. Editing maintains taut suspense in episodes, balancing historical events with character-driven horror, though potential for familiar beats risks repetition; the structure promises deeper lore without spoiling the films’ climaxes.
Positives / What Works
IT Welcome to Derry thrills with Bill Skarsgård’s menacing reprise of Pennywise, delivering a hardcore performance that revitalizes the icon while unveiling origins in King’s rich lore, captivating fans with deeper franchise expansion. Andy Muschietti’s direction masterfully blends intimate 1960s terror with grand supernatural spectacle, ensuring visual continuity from the films through atmospheric cinematography and practical horrors that immerse in Derry’s cursed history. Benjamin Wallfisch’s score evokes chilling whimsy and dread, heightening emotional stakes in feeding cycles and town secrets. The screenplay’s multi-timeline structure promises innovative storytelling, drawing from novel interludes for fresh events like the Black Spot, fostering binge-worthy episodes packed with psychological depth and ensemble dynamics that honor the source while innovating for TV.
Negatives / What Doesn’t Work
As a prequel, the series risks retreading familiar IT tropes like child-targeted horrors and clown manifestations, potentially lacking fresh scares amid high expectations from the films’ success. Production delays from strikes may impact pacing or polish, while the episodic format could dilute the cinematic intensity Muschietti excels in, leading to filler amid lore dumps. Some fans worry the origin focus might spoil book nuances or fail to capture King’s sprawling narrative without the novels’ depth, and without reviews yet, ambiguity around cast chemistry and effects quality heightens concerns for uneven execution in expanding a beloved universe.
Final Verdict / Conclusion
IT Welcome to Derry emerges as a chilling prequel on HBO’s Max, poised to captivate with Bill Skarsgård’s terrifying Pennywise and Andy Muschietti’s masterful horror direction, expanding Stephen King’s universe with rich lore and 1960s dread. Its multi-timeline narrative and atmospheric visuals promise a deep dive into Derry’s cursed history, anchored by a strong ensemble and haunting score, though risks of familiar tropes and production challenges may temper its impact. Perfect for IT fans and horror aficionados, the series offers a binge-worthy descent into fear and secrets, but viewers should brace for potential narrative echoes. Stream it for a spine-chilling exploration of Pennywise’s origins, steeped in psychological terror and franchise legacy.
Series Rating
| Rating Category | Score (Out of 5 Stars) |
| Plot & Storyline | ★★★½ |
| Acting & Performances | ★★★★ |
| Direction & Cinematography | ★★★★ |
| Music & Background Score | ★★★★ |
| Overall Entertainment Value | ★★★½ |
| Average Score | 3.8 / 5 |
OFFICIAL TRAILER
FAQs
Where can I watch it?
Streaming exclusively on Max starting October 26, 2025.
How does it connect to the IT films?
It expands on the novel’s interlude chapters, focusing on earlier cycles of terror without spoiling the films’ events.
