IT: Welcome to Derry Prequel Reunites Skarsgård

IT: Welcome to Derry is HBO’s long‑anticipated prequel to the 2017/2019 It films, arriving in late October 2025 (reports list Oct. 25–26) and reuniting Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise under the creative oversight of Andy and Barbara Muschietti with Jason Fuchs serving as showrunner. The eight‑episode season is set in 1962—27 years before the films—and deliberately delays and rationates Pennywise’s appearances to build unpredictability while tracing the creature’s cyclical returns and deepening Derry lore. The series foregrounds era‑specific tensions such as racism and Cold War dread and develops new adult storylines alongside a broad ensemble cast that includes Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk and Madeleine Stowe (plus an iteration of Dick Hallorann). Early critical response has been strong, with initial reviews giving the show a roughly 92% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Episodes are expected to air weekly through mid‑December, as the show aims to tie into the films while delivering a thoughtful, often brutal exploration of the town’s rot and Pennywise’s hunger.