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It: Welcome to Derry has its terrifying first trailer.
HBO Max's prequel series, set in the universe of It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), debuts fall 2025. It takes place 27 years before the events of 2017's It, and follows a group of children who uncover a murderous entity that takes the form of killer shapeshifting clown, Pennywise.
"This is a book we love a lot, and we felt that there was still a lot of story to be covered," Andy Muschietti and his sister and producing partner Barbara Muschietti tell Entertainment Weekly.
Keep reading for the It: Welcome to Derry release date, cast list, trailer, and full reactions across social media.
It: Welcome to Derry Release Date
It: Welcome to Derry releases fall 2025 on HBO Max. There are nine episodes, set to drop weekly on HBO Max. There is currently no It: Welcome to Derry first episode date.
It: Welcome to Derry Plot
"Get ready to go back to where IT all began..." reads HBO's tagline, suggesting It: Welcome to Derry presents the morbid origin story of Pennywise. Set in the 1960s, the plot centres on a group of young people exploring the mystery of an evil force that has been terrorising the town of Derry for centuries.
As Muschietti tells Entertainment Weekly, "Specifically, 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. 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."
The official logline for the film is as follows: "Set in the world of Stephen King's "IT" universe, IT: WELCOME TO DERRY is based on King's "IT" novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films "IT" and "IT Chapter Two."
It: Welcome to Derry Cast
Bill Skarsgard is back as Pennywise, reprising his role from the 2017 first movie and its sequel. The cast also includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. Here's the full It: Welcome to Derry cast list.
- Bill Skarsgard
- Jovan Adepo
- Chris Chalk
- Taylour Paige
- James Remar
- Stephen Rider
- Dean Yool
- Madeleine Stowe
- Alixandra Fuchs
- Kimberly Norris Guerrero
- Tyner Rushing
- Dorian Grey
- Thomas Mitchell
- BJ Harrison
- Peter Outerbridge
- Shane Marriott
- Chad Rook
- Joshua Odjick
- Morningstar Angeline
- Rudy Mancuso
It: Welcome to Derry Trailer
Check out the full first It: Welcome to Derry trailer below. It features an introduction to the new core cast, a tease of Pennywise's insidious presence, and an all-round disturbing atmosphere capturing the tone of the films brilliantly.
Get ready to go back to where IT all began... 🎈 #ITWelcometoDerry is coming this fall to HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/SOhXEA6yYe
— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 20, 2025
IT: Welcome to Derry Reactions
The reaction across social media is largely positive, with commenters sharing their delight and anticipation. In particular, they're excited about Welcome to Derry expanding the It lore, and Skarsgard reprising his role.
Bill coming back as Pennywise is EVERYTHING I needed!!! pic.twitter.com/ZwDrtvUyp0
— 𝑲𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏 ❤️ (@HorrorLover27) May 20, 2025
Welcome to Derry and IT both connect together so well like OMG this makes more sense now about Pennywise's story and the missing kids and how they disappeared.
— Xavier Bennett (@XavierBenn27429) May 20, 2025
Looks great, not cheap at all. Promising
— Real Madrid Era 1️⃣5️⃣ (@RealmOfMadrid) May 20, 2025
This actually looks creepier than the 2017 movie.
— COBRAKAIFOREVER🐍🐉🌳🥋 (@TerrySilverSimp) May 20, 2025
