What to expect from Pennywise's return in 'Welcome to Derry'
What's the story
HBO Max has unveiled the spine-chilling first trailer for Welcome to Derry, the prequel series to Stephen King's It franchise.
The show, scheduled to premiere on the streaming platform in 2025, is a chilling chapter in Derry's haunted history, 27 years before the events of It (2017).
Set in 1962, the series explores the ominous build-up to one of the monster's earlier cycles of child disappearances and mass hysteria in the cursed town.
Trailer details
Trailer highlights eerie atmosphere of 'Welcome to Derry'
The trailer for Welcome to Derry opens with a chilling scene of a kid alone in the snow when a car offering a ride pulls up. The kid's response—"Anywhere but Derry"—sets the tone for what comes next.
It features creepy figures lurking in windows, panicked townspeople, terrified kids on bicycles, and a dark tunnel where something waits.
We can expect the '60s setting to add an eerie vintage atmosphere to the series while staying true to King's canon.
Twitter Post
Check out the trailer
The first trailer for the ‘IT’ prequel series ‘IT: WELCOME TO DERRY’ has been released.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 20, 2025
Releasing this Fall on HBO.pic.twitter.com/yZWZpJLCIJ
Cast details
Bill Skarsgard reprises his role as Pennywise
Bill Skarsgard will reprise his now-iconic role of Pennywise in the series. Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso also star.
The series is produced by HBO and Warner Bros. Television in association with New Line Cinema and Double Dream.
It is developed by It director Andy Muschietti, his sister Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs, with Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane as co-showrunners.
Series inspiration
'It: Welcome to Derry' draws inspiration from King's 1986 novel
Welcome to Derry takes inspiration from the interlude chapters of King's 1986 novel.
These chapters narrate past cycles of Pennywise's violence, from the burning of the Black Spot to the Kitchener Ironworks explosion.
The series will release in 2025 on HBO with nine episodes. King has approved the project, and HBO plans for multiple seasons, potentially going further back into Derry's cursed history.