Stephen King’s IT has haunted us since 1986. But most recently, IT and IT: Chapter Two directed by Andy Muschietti really captivated popular imagination. The devious Pennywise and his red balloon caused a stir among die-hard horror fans and casual viewers. And now, we’re heading back to Derry for more of that specific world. The newly coined streamer Max (formerly HBO Max) has officially greenlit and ordered Welcome To Derry, an IT prequel series from Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. Take a look at all the latest from Welcome to Derry below, including teaser footage which mentions a familiar clown, first-look images, release date information, and more.
Max Shares First-Look Footage from Welcome to Derry, Teases Pennywise the Clown in Prequel Series
As part of an expansive look at its upcoming slate, Max shared our best look yet at teaser footage from Welcome to Derry. In among the rest, we finally hear confirmation that Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise the Clown is running amok in Derry. You can watch the entire trailer below, or check out just the Welcome to Derry section beneath that. There’s some pretty freaky stuff at play.
Welcome to Derry First-Look Images
Below are some additional first-look images from the series, thanks to Max. Pennywise is also lurking around in these.
Welcome to Derry Will Release in 2025
Welcome to Derry was also part of a Max sizzle reel for upcoming properties earlier in the year.
The footage of Welcome to Derry is brief, but it does tease us with an ominous red balloon. It also confirms that although the Pennywise series was slated for a Halloween 2024 release on Max, the series will officially be released in 2025.
Welcome to Derry‘s Cast
So far, we know that Welcome to Derry‘s cast will include Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. According to Deadline, Madeleine Stowe and Stephen Rider have also come aboard in recurring guest and series regular roles, respectively.
More About Welcome to Derry—the IT Prequel Series
According to TV Line, Andy Muschietti will also direct several episodes of the series, including its first. The publication reports the HBO IT series will be set in the ’60s. It will delve into the origins of Derry’s curse and, presumably, Pennywise the Clown. The HBO Max show will eventually lead to the first IT film.
It’s not clear whether we’d see Pennywise become the main character of the Welcome to Derry prequel show. But we are excited to see Bill Skarsgård step into the role once more.
We’ll just have to see what else lies in store for Pennywise and Derry.
Originally published on February 23, 2023.
