HBO Max unveiled the first trailer for It: Welcome to Derry, a nine-episode prequel series that dives into the origins of Stephen King’s most iconic villain, Pennywise the Clown. The teaser, released on May 20, offers a chilling glimpse of Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as the shape-shifting menace and establishes a 1962 setting in the small town of Derry, Maine, where unspeakable horrors are about to resurface.
The series, co-developed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti alongside writer-showrunner Jason Fuchs, transports viewers to the aftermath of the Black Spot nightclub massacre—a pivotal event in King’s novel interludes—in which a gathering place for Black residents is burned down, triggering Pennywise’s cyclical return every 27 years. Skarsgård embodies Pennywise once more, stalking sewers and shadowy streets as a new cast of characters begins to piece together Derry’s dark legacy.
At the heart of the story is the Hanlon family: Jovan Adepo portrays Will Hanlon, whose investigation into his missing young son draws in neighbors played by Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk and Madeleine Stowe. Veteran actors James Remar and Stephen Rider round out the ensemble, lending gravitas to a narrative that balances supernatural terror with societal tensions of the early 1960s.
Production wrapped in August 2024 after 237 shooting days in Ontario, with Muschietti directing multiple episodes and Fuchs penning the pilot teleplay. Executive producers Brad Caleb Kane and Shelley Meals join the Muschiettis and Fuchs at Double Dream, under the banner of New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Television.
Early reactions strike a cautious tone: while fans applaud the vivid period detail and psychological depth hinted at in the teaser, some longtime readers worry the series might stray too far from King’s original lore, echoing past controversies over the Ritual of Chüd’s adaptation. Bill Skarsgård, however, has expressed enthusiasm about exploring dimensions of Pennywise unseen in the films, suggesting the show will delve deeper into the clown’s cosmic origins and Derry’s haunted past.
With no exact premiere date yet announced, It: Welcome to Derry is slated to arrive on HBO Max this fall, promising both fresh frights and a richer understanding of the town where fear itself takes shape.
