Stephen King’s literary universe is expanding rapidly on screen, and at the center of this expansion is HBO’s chilling new series IT: Welcome to Derry. With the trailer just released during San Diego Comic-Con, fans are finally getting their first look at the long-awaited prequel to IT, the story that brought us Pennywise the Dancing Clown and a generation of nightmares. Set decades before The Losers’ Club, the series promises to unearth the horrors that shaped Derry long before the events of King’s seminal novel.
Back to Derry: Exploring the Origins of Pennywise
Co-developed by Andy Muschietti—director of the IT duology—and Jason Fuchs, Welcome to Derry is set in 1962, placing it 27 years before the events of IT: Chapter One. This timing isn’t arbitrary: it aligns with one of Pennywise’s recurring 27-year cycles, a central theme in King’s mythology. The show is designed as a three-season arc, with future seasons exploring 1935 and 1908, each tied to major catastrophic events in Derry’s cursed history.
The first trailer sets a grim tone: children begin vanishing without a trace, and eerie symbols—red balloons, storm drains, and terrified glances—hint at the return of something ancient and evil. Taylour Paige leads the cast as a young Black woman who moves to Derry seeking a new life, only to be caught in a growing web of supernatural terror and small-town silence.
Bill Skarsgård reprises his haunting role as Pennywise, cementing this series within the same universe as Muschietti’s successful films.
Digging into Derry’s Dark Past
While the trailer keeps Pennywise’s full form mostly hidden, the real star might be the town of Derry itself. According to Muschietti, each season will chronicle one of Pennywise’s past appearances through the lens of historical tragedy.
Three key events will anchor the show’s narrative:
- The Black Spot Fire (1962): A nightclub for Black servicemen, built by Air Force members including a young Dick Halloran (The Shining), is burned down by a white supremacist group. Amid the flames, a monstrous bird—an avatar of It—descends, escalating the chaos.
- The Bradley Gang Massacre (1935): A notorious gang is gunned down in broad daylight by Derry residents. The violent ambush, recounted differently by survivors, hints at the town’s complicity and the presence of a larger, supernatural influence.
- The Kitchener Ironworks Explosion (1908): The site of an Easter egg hunt turns into a mass grave as the ironworks mysteriously explodes, killing 102 people—88 of them children. This gruesome incident marks one of Pennywise’s earliest known appearances.
These historical flashpoints, drawn from the interludes of King’s original novel, will form the backbone of Welcome to Derry, offering fans both new stories and deeper ties to King’s multiverse.
A King-Sized Universe: Easter Eggs and Crossover Potential
Beyond the terror, the trailer also teases connections to other parts of King’s sprawling mythology. A prison bus labeled Shawshank State Prison—a nod to The Shawshank Redemption—suggests potential crossovers or at least a shared atmosphere. Could we see younger versions of characters like Ralph Roberts from Insomnia, or more Easter eggs for die-hard fans?
With King properties in high demand—The Monkey hitting Hulu, The Institute airing on MGM+, and The Life of Chuck heading to theaters—Welcome to Derry could become the cornerstone of an interconnected “King-verse.” Mike Flanagan’s rumored Dark Tower series could only deepen those ties.
The Verdict: A Bold, Bloody New Chapter for IT
HBO’s Welcome to Derry is shaping up to be more than just another horror prequel. With a strong creative team, the return of Skarsgård as Pennywise, and rich source material to draw from, it could redefine what a Stephen King adaptation can be.
Set against the backdrop of racial tension, economic strife, and historical trauma, Welcome to Derry doesn’t just promise jump scares—it offers a horrifyingly human reflection of the fears that haunt every generation.
The series will premiere on HBO Max later this year, and early buzz from Comic-Con suggests the network is already eyeing a fast track for Season 2. If you’ve got red balloons floating around your storm drains, now’s the time to panic.
Coming Soon to HBO Max: IT: Welcome to Derry — the origins of fear are just the beginning.
