HBO Max's upcoming prequel series is based on the many interludes of Stephen King's 1986 novel. When does Welcome to Derry come out? All about the It prequel se

HBO Max's upcoming prequel series is based on the many interludes of Stephen King's 1986 novel.

When does Welcome to Derry come out? All about the It prequel series — and Pennywise's return

HBO Max's upcoming prequel series is based on the many interludes of Stephen King's 1986 novel.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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October 13, 2025 12:00 p.m. ET

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'IT: Welcome to Derry' on HBO Max. Credit:

Brooke Palmer/HBO

- Based on Stephen King's 1986 novel *It*, *Welcome to Derry* is a prequel exploring the horrors that preceded 2017's *It* and 2019's *It Chapter Two. *

- Jovan Adepo and Taylour Paige star as the grandparents of Losers' Club member Mike Hanlon.

- The nine-episode series debuts Oct. 26 on HBO Max.

Pennywise is lacing up his dancing shoes.

As we learn in the many, *many* pages of Stephen King's *It*, the creature known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown plagued small town Derry long before the events of 2017's *It* and 2019's *It Chapter Two*. The entity operates in cycles, awakening for roughly a year of terror after 27 years of hibernation.

This generational element is key to HBO Max's *IT: Welcome to Derry*, a horror series that serves as a prequel to* *Andy Muschietti's films.

*It: Welcome to Derry* comes from Muschietti and his sister/producing partner Barbara Muschietti, who developed the series with Jason Fuchs, a co-producer on *It Chapter Two*. Fuchs serves as co-showrunner alongside Brad Caleb Kane, who previously penned episodes of *Fringe* (2008–2009), *Black Sails* (2014–2017), and *Tokyo Vice* (2022).**

"This is a book we love a lot, and we felt that there was still a lot of story to be covered," the Muschiettis previously told ** via email. "It's so rich with characters and events, we thought we would do justice to the book and the fans by going back into this world."

After a splashy panel at San Diego Comic-Con, you might have questions. What is *IT: Welcome to Derry* about? When does it take place? Is Bill Skarsgård returning as that damned clown?

Pop on a bright red clown nose, scoop up some cotton candy, and read on for everything to know about HBO Max's *IT: Welcome to Derry*.**

What is IT: Welcome to Derry about?

'It: Welcome to Derry'.

Brooke Palmer/HBO

*IT: Welcome to Derry* covers ground from King's 1,100-page novel that went more or less unexplored in the film adaptations. King includes several interludes in the book that, from the perspective of local librarian (and Losers' Club member) Mike Hanlon, dig into the violent history of Derry — and what role the creature known as It may have played in them.

"We are telling the stories of the interludes, writings by Mike Hanlon based on his investigation that includes interviews he conducts with the older people in the town," the Muschiettis explained to EW. "In *Welcome to Derry*, we touch on the usual themes that were talked about in the movie — friendship, loss, the power of unified belief — but this story focuses also on the use of fear as a weapon, which is one of the things that is also relevant to our times."

'It: Welcome to Derry' stars introduce the Hanlon family and horrors of the 1960s (exclusive)

How Stephen King Scared a Generation of Storytellers Into Existence

Season 1 of *Welcome to Derry* centers on the book's most harrowing interlude, about a nightclub called the Black Spot that catered to Black revelers. One night, the Black Spot was burned down by a white supremacist outfit, killing many of those trapped inside.

It takes place in 1962, 27 years before the events of 2017's *It. *For clarity's sake: the Black Spot interlude is set in the 1930s in King's book, but the series adheres to the timeline established in Muschietti's films. As such, the show addresses the racial tensions of the era and the Civil Rights Movement.

"It's scary when you have this clown that does really evil things, but then you have the silence and the lack of morale in a community. The complicit nature of minding your business," says Taylour Paige, who plays Charlotte Hanlon on the series. "Some people have their rights, but for the most part, we're comfortable with the fact that most people don't and they happen to be dark-skinned. There's such an unspoken energy that is obviously really wrong, but everyone is okay with it. It's almost like a gaslighting consciousness."******

The Muschiettis also confirmed to EW that there will be "a few jumps to the past."

"Twenty-seven years is the dormant period of Pennywise. It's a different part of American history with a new set of fears for children, as well as adults having in mind the cost of the Cold War," they said. "Every 27 years when It appears, It's cycle is marked by two catastrophic events, one at the beginning and one in the end. We are using the Black Spot as an event in which many stories are built around."

Is there an *IT: Welcome to Derry *trailer?

'It: Welcome to Derry'.

Brooke Palmer/HBO

There have been many trailers for *IT: Welcome to Derry*, offering fog-laden glimpses of a missing-persons board and an onslaught of gut-churning gross-outs.

Also on display? The crumbling house on Neibolt Street, home to some of the films' gnarliest sequences.**

"People in this town, it's like the devil's in 'em," says Paige's Charlotte Hanlon.

The latest trailer, which dropped roughly a month before the premiere, helps crystallize the story. We meet Leroy Hanlon, a Black soldier who's looking for a "little taste of normal" in Derry after eight years living on base. What he and his family encounter in the small town, though, unsettles them. There are the racial tensions, for one, but also a recent slate of disappearances and deaths.** **

Fascinated by the mystery is a group of schoolchildren, who we see investigating the local sewers in search of the missing. There, they encounter none other than Pennywise.

The trailer offers a handful of Easter eggs for fans of the book, including a bus bound for Shawshank prison and a sign announcing the construction of a Paul Bunyan monument.**

Who's in the IT: Welcome to Derry cast?

'IT: Welcome to Derry'.

Brooke Palmer/HBO

Muschietti and his collaborators revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2025 (via *USA Today*) that Jovan Adepo* *leads the cast as Leroy Hanlon, the grandfather of Mike Hanlon. Adepo previously starred in another King adaptation, Paramount+'s *The Stand* (2020).

Speaking with EW, Adepo described his character as "always by the book," but also "very compelling, very brave, very family oriented, loving, and also just a man of that time in the '60s."

He added, "A lot of men maybe weren't as expressive back then as we are able to be now. I think Leroy just had a big responsibility of uprooting his family, but doing so because he thought this particular town was the best place for them to finally grow and put a foundation down."

Paige (*Zola*) plays his wife, Charlotte, who is more anti-establishment than her husband. "Intuitively, something's off," Paige told us. "It was in her gut all along. Even in her intimate life, she's like, 'My husband is committed to this role and duty for this country, but is this country committed to his freedom and our rights, also?' What's interesting about being someone in 1962, especially a woman, is you could have these feelings and you would have to suppress that to be alive in the time."

Chris Chalk (*Gotham*) costars as a familiar character to King fans: Dick Hallorann. While Dick briefly appears in *It* as a cook in the kitchen of the Black Spot, you likely best remember him as the kindly chef at *The Shining*'s Overlook Hotel. Scatman Crothers played Dick in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation, and Carl Lumbly took over the role in Mike Flanagan's 2019 take on King's *Shining* sequel, *Doctor Sleep*.

The *IT: Welcome to Derry *cast also features James Remar (*Dexter*), Rudy Mancuso (*The Flash*), Stephen Rider (*Daredevil*), and Madeleine Stowe (*Revenge*).**

Is Bill Skarsgård returning as Pennywise in IT: Welcome to Derry?

Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise the Clown in 'Welcome to Derry'.

Courtesy of HBO

Yes, Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role as Pennywise for *IT: Welcome to Derry*. You can spot the maniacal clown in each of the series' trailers.

"We will explore the origins of Pennywise, but like in the book, we'll do it with a healthy dose of crypticism," the Muschiettis told EW.

Andy, however, put it a bit differently during the Comic-Con panel. "One of the most fascinating things about the book is the cryptic factor," he said. "You hear certain things, you get to the end of the book, but you don't know what It is. We're going to ruin all this. We're unveiling all these mysteries, but with very good taste."**

Will there be an *IT: Welcome to Derry *season 2?

Chris Chalk as Dick Hallorann on 'IT: Welcome to Derry'.

Brooke Palmer/HBO

During a January 2025 interview with Radio TU, Andy revealed that the plan is to produce three seasons of *Welcome to Derry*, with each set in a different era. He confirmed as much during the show's Comic-Con panel.

"We are basing the three seasons of this series on each of these catastrophic events," he said on Radio TU (via Bloody Disgusting). "There's a reason why the story is told backwards.** **So the first season is 1962, the second season is 1935, and the third season is 1908."

King's book explores several tragic events in Derry's past. In addition to the burning of the Black Spot, there's the massacre of a gang of bank robbers and an explosion at the town's Kitchener Ironworks that killed several children. Muschietti noted that each of these events would be explored should the series get renewed for future seasons.**

How many episodes will there be of IT: Welcome to Derry?

Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack, and Jack Molloy Legault on 'IT: Welcome to Derry'.

Courtesy of HBO

The first season of *IT: Welcome to Derry* will consist of nine episodes.**

Is there an IT: Welcome to Derry release date?

'It: Welcome to Derry'.

Brooke Palmer/HBO

*IT: Welcome to Derry* premieres on Sunday, Oct. 26. New episodes arrive weekly.**

Where can I watch IT: Welcome to Derry?

Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise returns in 'It: Welcome to Derry'.

Courtesy of HBO

*IT: Welcome to Derry* will stream on HBO Max.

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