HBO's It Welcome to Derry debuts, explores Pennywise origins

HBO’s prequel series It Welcome to Derry premiered on Sunday, October 26, 2025, taking viewers back to 1962 to explore the origins of Pennywise and the long history of violence in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. Developed for television by Andy and Barbara Muschietti with Jason Fuchs, the eight-episode run debuted on HBO and the streamer simultaneously. Bill Skarsgård returns to the role of Pennywise, and the cast includes Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar and Madeleine Stowe. Episode 2 will be released early on the streaming service for Halloween on October 31 and will air on linear HBO on November 2.

The premiere opens with a brutal cold sequence in which a young boy, Matty, is abducted and attacked by a demonic manifestation, an opening that sets a markedly bloodier tone than the recent films. Much of the episode follows the Hanlon family, newly arrived in Derry, and a circle of children who begin to probe Matty’s disappearance. Showrunners have said the series restrains appearances by the clown early on to build dread, while also expanding It’s mythology through other monstrous forms and more graphic material than the feature films.