Warner Bros.Popular horror franchise IT is getting a prequel TV series, so here’s everything we know about the upcoming show, titled Welcome to Derry.
Author Stephen King first released his novel IT back in 1986. Since then, the story of Pennywise the Clown has become one of the most well-known horror narratives of all time.
The character was first brought to the big screen in 1990. More recently, however, IT was rebooted and met with both critical and commercial success with the two films IT: Chapter 1 and IT: Chapter 2.
Following this success, a prequel spin-off TV series is just around the corner. Without further ado, here are all the details we know so far about the prequel series.
Is there an IT: Welcome to Derry release date?
IT: Welcome to Derry is set to premiere on Sunday, October 26, exclusively through HBO Max.
While we knew October was the target for much of 2025, we didn’t get confirmation on an exact release date until September.
How many episodes are there?
HBO has confirmed IT: Welcome to Derry consists of nine episodes.
There’s currently no word on how long each episode may be or whether they will vary in length.
There’s also no telling just yet whether the full series will release at once or be drip-fed on a weekly basis. Given it’s airing on HBO Max, however, it’s more than likely we see the latter.
What’s it about?
Welcome to Derry takes place in 1962 in the lead up to the events of IT: Chapter 1. The show is also reportedly going to focus on the origins of Pennywise the Clown, how he came to be, and why IT torments the town and its inhabitants.
Related
HBOTeasing what’s in store for Pennywise, actor Bill Skarsgård, who’s reprising his iconic role, outlined how fans will get to see new sides of “old Pennywise that we haven’t seen,” he said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
Skarsgård then added that the show has a dark tone throughout, teasing how “It’s pretty hardcore, man. It’s not the G-rated Pennywise.”
Welcome to Derry planned to last for three seasons
Creator Andy Muschietti revealed he has envisioned the show to be told over three seasons, each outing taking place in a unique time period and drawing inspiration from the “interludes of the book.”
“The interludes are basically chapters that reflect Mike Hanlon’s research. They’re fragments of his research. For 27 years, it’s the guy trying to figure out what it is, what did it, who did it, who saw it, and all that stuff,” began Muschietti when speaking to Radio TU.
He further elaborated, “So they talk about catastrophic events from the past, like the fire in the Black Spot… the massacre of the Bradley Gang, a gang of bank robbers in the ’30s… and the explosion of the Kitchener Ironworks. Every time [Pennywise] comes out of hibernation, there is a catastrophic event that happens at the beginning of that cycle.”
While the Black Spot fire takes place in the 1930s in the book, Muschietti’s IT movie moved the dates forward, so it now takes place in 1962 – the same year Welcome to Derry takes place.
If Muschietti’s three-season plan comes to fruition, the second season would be set in 1935 (Bradley Gang Massacre), and the third would dial the clock back even further to 1908 (Kitchener Ironworks explosion).
Cast
Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role as Pennywise the Clown for Welcome to Derry, though others from the films won’t be returning due to the time difference.
HBOZola star Taylour Paige, Watchmen’s Jovan Adepo, Perry Mason actor Chris Chalk, and James Remar of Dexter fame have also all joined the cast.
Although there are no character details right now, given that the show will be set before the events of the first IT film, it is unlikely that we will see any of the original Losers Club making a return.
As for who’s behind the scenes, the show, which began production in March 2022, is executive-produced by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. Andy Muschietti has a great deal of experience with the franchise, having directed the 2017 and 2019 films IT: Chapter 1 and IT: Chapter 2.
As well as this, it was confirmed that Jason Fuchs will serve as a co-showrunner for the project alongside Brad Caleb Kane.
Trailers
First, we got a few frames of intense Derry terror, showing a few characters and a glimpse at the killer clown himself:
In August, we got just six seconds of torment in our first look at the prequel series as part of a new HBO Max sizzle reel:
Then, in May, HBO dropped the Official Teaser Trailer showing a new gang of kids realizing that Derry isn’t an ordinary town when children start going missing:
Our second trailer arrived in July, providing another in-depth look at the first season.
It’s likely we’ll get one final trailer before the show’s release in October, but until then, you can find even more amazing new movies and TV shows streaming this month, or dive into all the new true crime documentaries airing in 2025.