The terrifying Pennywise the Clown is back, but this time he's haunting your TV screens. HBO Max has released the first trailer for "Welcome to Derry," the "It" prequel series that is set to debut this fall. More from Variety 'Harry Potter,' 'It' Prequel 'Welcome to Derry' and Other Warner Bros. Tentpole Series to Be Branded as HBO Originals Instead of Max (EXCLUSIVE) Max 2024 Teaser Debuts New 'Penguin' Footage and First Look at 'It' Prequel 'Welcome to Derry' 'White Lotus' Season 3, 'It' Prequel Series Likely Moving to 2025, HBO Boss Says "Welcome to Derry" is set 27 years before the events of the two "It" movies, which were adapted from Stephen King's iconic horror novel by director Andy Muschietti. As the story goes, the murderous entity It feeds on children before hibernating for 27 years, so the show follows It's previous killing spree before the events of the "It" films. Bill Skarsgard is back as Pennywise, and the "Welcome to Derry" cast also includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe and Rudy Mancuso. "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 told Entertainment Weekly. "It's so rich with characters and events, we thought we would do justice to the book and the fans by going back into this world. 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. InWelcome 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." "Welcome to Derry" is produced by HBO and Warner Bros. Television, with a story by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs. They executive produce alongside Brad Caleb Kane, David Coatsworth, Bill Skarsgård, Shelley Meals, Roy Lee and Dan Lin. Fuchs, who wrote the teleplay for the first episode, is a co-showrunner with Kane. Watch the trailer below. Get ready to go back to where IT all began… 🎈#ITWelcometoDerryis coming this fall to HBO Max.pic.twitter.com/SOhXEA6yYe — Max (@StreamOnMax)May 20, 2025 Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.
