‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Connects Stephen King’s Worlds in Chilling Teaser

HBO has released the second official trailer for IT: Welcome to Derry, offering a chilling preview of the upcoming nine-episode series based on Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel. Arriving on HBO Max this October, the prequel pulls audiences back into the cursed town of Derry, Maine, to explore the evil that lurked there long before the Losers’ Club faced off against Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

The teaser begins in 1962, as a new family settles into town, unaware of the dark force that quietly festers beneath the surface. Early glimpses hint at a population infected by paranoia and cruelty, as an unexplained evil appears to feed on Derry’s collective fears. While Bill Skarsgård’s return as Pennywise is only teased, his looming presence is unmistakable, with references to mysterious disappearances and unspoken horrors suggesting the beginning of a fresh cycle of terror.

IT: Welcome to Derry expands the world established in Andy Muschietti’s blockbuster films It and It Chapter Two, while forging its own path. Muschietti, who returns to direct several episodes and serve as executive producer, has indicated that future seasons could explore earlier iterations of Derry’s cursed history, with planned settings in 1935 and 1908. Speaking with Radio TU, Muschietti described the show as drawing heavily from the interludes of King’s novel, which detail a string of catastrophic events that coincide with Pennywise’s cyclical awakenings.

The cast includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Madeleine Stowe, James Remar, and Stephen Rider, supported by Alixandra Fuchs, Thomas Mitchell, Rudy Mancuso, and Morningstar Angeline. Skarsgård, who defined the modern iteration of Pennywise with his unnerving performance in the 2017 and 2019 films, is confirmed to return.

One standout moment in the trailer is the sight of a bus en route to Shawshank Prison, a detail that links IT: Welcome to Derry to other stories in King’s multiverse. With its period setting, expanded mythology, and unsettling tone, the series appears set to push deeper into the origins of Derry’s malevolence while preserving the hallmarks of King’s most enduring horror creation.

Co-showrunners Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane helm the series, with Muschietti overseeing the project alongside his producing partners. As the Halloween release window approaches, the growing anticipation for IT: Welcome to Derry points to another defining chapter in the IT saga, one that promises to explore the roots of evil with the same unflinching dread that made the films a global phenomenon.

We’ll share more news on the series at the launch approaches.

IT: Welcome to Derry trailer