Skarsgård Returns in It: Welcome to Derry

It: Welcome to Derry, an HBO prequel created by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, premiered Oct. 26, 2024, and is set 27 years before the 2017 It films (in 1962), serving as an origin story for Pennywise and a loose prequel to The Shining. Early reviews were generally favorable (around 78%). The first episode does not feature Pennywise on-screen, instead centering on the 1962 disappearance of Matty and showcasing a bat-like manifestation of It while delaying the clown reveal. Chris Chalk portrays a younger Dick Hallorann, connecting the series to The Shining and exploring Hallorann’s fear of being trapped. Bill Skarsgård is confirmed to reprise Pennywise but was largely absent from promotional events ahead of the premiere; off-screen he remains private and is in a long-term relationship with Swedish actress Alida Morberg, with whom he has two children.