The supernatural horror landscape is preparing for a significant return to Maine. HBO has officially confirmed that the highly anticipated prequel series It: Welcome to Derry premiered on October 26, 2025. This marks a new chapter in the expansion of Stephen King’s most famous horror universe, bridging the gap between historical lore and the modern cinematic interpretations led by Andy Muschietti.

Serving as a direct prequel to the global blockbusters It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), the series is designed to explore the cursed history of Derry, Maine, decades before the Losers' Club first encountered the terrifying entity known as Pennywise. The show consists of eight episodes in its debut season, released on a weekly schedule that concludes in mid-December.

Complete Release Schedule for Welcome to Derry Season 1

For viewers planning their viewing schedule, the series follows a traditional prestige television rollout. Following the premiere on Sunday, October 26, new episodes debut every Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, with simultaneous availability for streaming on Max.

The full release calendar for the first season is as follows:

  • Episode 1 ("The Pilot"): October 26, 2025
  • Episode 2 ("The Thing in the Dark"): November 2, 2025
  • Episode 3 ("Now You See It"): November 9, 2025
  • Episode 4 ("The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet's Function"): November 16, 2025
  • Episode 5 ("29 Neibolt Street"): November 23, 2025
  • Episode 6 ("In the Name of the Father"): November 30, 2025
  • Episode 7 ("The Black Spot"): December 7, 2025
  • Episode 8 ("Winter Fire"): December 14, 2025

This deliberate rollout allows for the slow-burn tension characteristic of Stephen King’s storytelling, giving the audience time to dissect the clues scattered throughout the 1962 setting.

Exploring the 1962 Timeline and Story Premise

While the It films focused on the late 1980s and the 2010s, Welcome to Derry takes us back to the early 1960s. This period is pivotal in the lore of Derry, as it aligns with one of the entity's cyclical awakenings. The narrative follows a family moving to the town—Major Leroy Hanlon, his wife Charlotte, and their son Will.

The arrival of the Hanlon family coincides with the disappearance of a local boy, a familiar harbinger of doom in Derry. However, the show aims to do more than just replicate the beats of the films. It delves into the social dynamics of the era, exploring themes of systemic racism, the Cold War paranoia, and the government’s presence in New England.

A major focal point of the season is the "Black Spot" incident. For readers of the original novel, the Black Spot was a nightclub frequented by African American soldiers that was burned down by a racist hate group. In King's writing, the tragedy was exacerbated by the presence of a giant, bird-like manifestation of It. The television series offers a gritty, ground-level perspective on this event, highlighting the horror that is both supernatural and human in origin.

The Return of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Dancing Clown

Perhaps the most exciting news for fans is the return of Bill Skarsgård. Not only does he reprise his role as the shapeshifting entity Pennywise, but he also serves as an executive producer. Skarsgård's portrayal in the films was praised for its idiosyncratic physicality and chilling voice work, and early reports from the set suggest that the series allows him to explore even darker territories.

In Welcome to Derry, Skarsgård’s role is dual-layered. In addition to the clown persona, he portrays Bob Gray, the human figure who may hold the key to how the entity first began to manifest in a recognizable form to the residents of Derry. This exploration of the "original" Pennywise provides a psychological depth that the films, restricted by their runtime, could not fully investigate.

The presence of Skarsgård ensures a visual and tonal continuity with the Muschietti films. His performance remains the anchor of the franchise, blending the grotesque with a strange, hypnotic charm that has become the definitive version of the character for a new generation.

A Deep Dive into the Supporting Cast and Legacy Characters

The ensemble cast of Welcome to Derry features a blend of veteran actors and rising stars, many playing characters with deep ties to the established lore:

  • Jovan Adepo as Leroy Hanlon: A US Air Force Major who finds himself at the center of the town's unfolding mystery. Adepo brings a stoic intensity to the role, representing the moral compass in a town losing its way.
  • Taylour Paige as Charlotte Hanlon: As an activist and newcomer to Derry, her character provides a perspective on the town’s insular and hostile nature.
  • Chris Chalk as Dick Hallorann: This is a major connection for fans of the wider "King-verse." Dick Hallorann, the telepathic cook from The Shining, appears here as a younger man serving in the Air Force. His clairvoyant skills (the "Shine") play a crucial role in identifying the true nature of the evil lurking beneath Derry.
  • James Remar as General Francis Shaw: A superior officer searching for a "weapon" during the Cold War, whose interests may inadvertently cross paths with the supernatural entity.
  • Madeleine Stowe as Ingrid Kersh: A character whose name will ring bells for those who remember the "Mrs. Kersh" scene in It Chapter Two. The series explores her backstory as the head housekeeper at Juniper Hill Asylum.

The younger cast, including Blake Cameron James as Will Hanlon and Clara Stack as Lilly Bainbridge, represents the "Losers" of a previous generation, children who see the truth while the adults remain blissfully or willfully ignorant.

The Creative Vision of Andy and Barbara Muschietti

The series was developed for television by the team that successfully revitalized the franchise on the big screen. Andy Muschietti, who directed both films, directed multiple episodes of the series, including the pilot and the finale. His sister and long-term producing partner, Barbara Muschietti, oversaw the production alongside co-showrunners Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane.

In our analysis of the production history, it is clear that the creators aimed for a cinematic quality that rivals the films. The production utilized locations in Toronto and Port Hope, Ontario—the same towns that stood in for Derry in the movies. This geographical consistency helps maintain the "vibe" of Derry, from the iconic Barrens to the eerie streets lined with colonial-style houses.

However, the production faced significant hurdles. Filming began in May 2023 but was halted for several months due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. This delay shifted the production from a "summer shoot" to a winter one. Interestingly, this environmental change was incorporated into the story, leading to a "different climate" for the season finale, which production insiders suggest added an unexpected layer of bleakness to the concluding episodes.

Technical Excellence: Score, Visuals, and Physical Media

The atmosphere of Derry is as much about sound as it is about sight. Benjamin Wallfisch returned to score the series, bringing back the haunting themes of the films while introducing new, period-appropriate motifs for the 1960s setting. The soundtrack was released in four volumes, coinciding with every two episodes, allowing the music to evolve alongside the narrative.

Visually, the show utilizes a desaturated palette that evokes the early 60s while maintaining the high-contrast horror lighting that made the films famous. The series was shot with 4K resolution in mind, emphasizing the detail in Pennywise’s intricate costumes and the decaying architecture of the Derry sewers.

For collectors, HBO and Warner Bros. have already announced the physical media release. It: Welcome to Derry – The Complete First Season is scheduled to arrive on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 5, 2026. The limited edition Steelbook will include exclusive featurettes like "Inside Derry" and "Fear the Other," the latter exploring the societal horrors of the 1962 setting, including the Red Scare and Jim Crow laws.

Where to Watch Welcome to Derry Online

The primary home for Welcome to Derry is HBO and its streaming companion, Max. In the United States, subscribers can stream the series in 4K UHD. Internationally, the release strategy varies slightly:

  • United Kingdom: The series premiered on Sky and NOW TV on October 27, 2025, one day after the US release.
  • Canada: Episodes are available on Crave, following the HBO broadcast schedule.
  • Australia: The show is hosted on BINGE and Foxtel.

For those without a subscription, individual episodes and the full season were made available for purchase on VOD platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV following the conclusion of the broadcast run.

Why Welcome to Derry Matters to the Stephen King Universe

This series represents a shift in how Stephen King’s work is adapted. Rather than just retelling the novel, Welcome to Derry treats the book as a historical text, expanding on the "interludes" that King wrote to flesh out the town's history. By focusing on 1962, the creators are filling in the gaps of the 27-year cycle that governs Pennywise’s appearances.

The inclusion of Dick Hallorann is a masterstroke of world-building. It confirms that the Muschietti "It" universe is linked to the broader concept of the "Shining," suggesting that the entity in Derry is aware of other telepathic individuals. This interconnectedness is a hallmark of King’s literary multiverse (often centered around the Dark Tower), and seeing it realized on screen provides a satisfying experience for long-term fans.

Frequently Asked Questions About Welcome to Derry

How many episodes are in the first season?

There are eight episodes in the first season of Welcome to Derry. Each episode has a running time between 54 and 66 minutes, providing a total of nearly eight hours of new content.

Is Welcome to Derry a sequel or a prequel?

It is a prequel. The events take place in 1962, which is roughly 27 years before the "kids" section of the 2017 It movie (which took place in 1988-1989).

Does Bill Skarsgård play Pennywise again?

Yes. Bill Skarsgård officially returned to play Pennywise. He also portrays a human character named Bob Gray in flashback sequences set in 1908.

Is the show based on a specific book?

While there is no book titled Welcome to Derry, the series is based on the history and lore established in Stephen King’s 1986 novel It. It expands on the background stories and town history mentioned in the novel’s interludes.

Will there be a Season 2?

While HBO has not officially announced a premiere date for a second season, the show was developed with a multi-season arc in mind. Given the success and the rich history of Derry yet to be explored (such as the 1930s or the 1900s), a second season is highly likely.

Can I watch this without seeing the movies?

While you can follow the plot as a standalone story, the viewing experience is significantly enhanced if you have seen the 2017 and 2019 films, as the series uses the same visual language and contains numerous Easter eggs.

Summary of Release and Viewing Information

It: Welcome to Derry officially premiered on October 26, 2025. It serves as a 1960s-set prequel to the It film franchise, exploring the origins of Pennywise and the tragic history of the town's residents. With Bill Skarsgård returning and the Muschiettis at the helm, the series offers eight episodes of high-quality supernatural horror. The weekly release concluded on December 14, 2025, and the series remains available for streaming on Max. Physical copies, including a 4K Steelbook, are slated for release in May 2026.