HBO Max has released a chilling first teaser for IT: Welcome to Derry, the upcoming prequel series based on Stephen King’s legendary horror novel, giving us our first proper look into this eerie chapter of the IT mythos.
Set decades before the events of IT and IT Chapter Two, the series explores Derry’s dark past, 27 years prior, to be exact. This is the period when the shapeshifting horror known as Pennywise last terrorized the town before its long hibernation. The new series aims to uncover the roots of the fear that has haunted Derry for generations.
Returning to the role that cemented his horror legacy, Bill Skarsgård reprises his performance as Pennywise. Despite past comments suggesting he was finished with the character, Skarsgård told Entertainment Weekly, “So I did feel I was kind of over it and wanted to do different things… but Barbara and Andy, the Muschiettis, are doing it and I love them… So, alright, let’s bring him back.”
Welcome to Derry reunites director Andy Muschietti with his producing partner and sister Barbara Muschietti, who both steered the successful IT films. “This is a book we love a lot, and we felt that there was still a lot of story to be covered,” the Muschiettis told Entertainment Weekly. “Specifically, we are telling the stories of the interludes, writings by Mike Hanlon… we touch on the usual themes — friendship, loss, the power of unified belief — but this story focuses also on the use of fear as a weapon.”
The cast includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso. Muschietti is set to direct four of the nine episodes, with Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane serving as co-showrunners.
While the teaser doesn’t fully reveal Pennywise, the imagery is unmistakable: a red balloon drifting in the wind, a woman with a disturbing smile, and water churning ominously—familiar signs that evil never really left Derry.
With HBO and Warner Bros. Television behind the project, Welcome to Derry looks poised to expand King’s terrifying universe in ways both faithful and fresh. We can expect the series to debut later this year on HBO and stream on Max.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
You may also like
-
Creators Confirm ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 Will See Abby Take Center Stage
-
Danny Boyle Talks About the Evolution of the Rage Virus in ’28 Years Later’
-
Rachel Brosnahan Takes the Stand for Apple TV in ‘Presumed Innocent’ Season 2
-
Domhnall Gleeson’s ‘The Paper’ Has Big Shoes to Fill—But He’s Ready
-
The Latest ‘HIM’ Teaser Warns Never Meet your Heroes