The new horror series It: Welcome to Derry premiered on October 26, 2025, and its first episode did more than just scare audiences. It laid the groundwork for a much larger story. Director and executive producer Andy Muschietti has confirmed that the show is planned to run for three seasons, each one moving further back in time to explore the dark history of Derry and the ancient evil that lives beneath it.
The series serves as a direct prequel to the 2017 film It and its 2019 sequel, both also directed by Muschietti. The first season is set in 1962, but future seasons are planned to explore the years 1935 and 1908. This structure will unravel the mystery of Pennywise and the town of Derry backwards.
“There’s a reason why the story is told backwards,” Muschietti explained in an interview. He indicated that the first season is just the beginning, saying they are only “opening a window” to a story that will fully “manifest” in the second and third seasons.
A Premise of Fear and History
It: Welcome to Derry expands on the world established in the two films. The story is based on interlude chapters from Stephen King’s original novel that the movies did not explore in depth. The series follows Major Leroy Hanlon and his family as they move to the seemingly normal town of Derry, Maine, in 1962. Their arrival coincides with the mysterious disappearance of a young boy, and they soon discover the town is hiding a terrible secret.
Executive producer Jason Fuchs explained that the plan is to reveal not just the origin of Pennywise, but also the origin of the “cursed town.” He stated that Derry itself is an entity “in many ways,” and that Pennywise actually “predates Derry.” Over the planned seasons, the show aims to leave audiences with a “different understanding of the creature, the town’s rules, and what motivates It.”
The First Episode’s Shocking Events
The premiere episode, titled “The Pilot,” wastes no time establishing that this is a story where no one is safe. The plot focuses on a group of kids—Lilly Bainbridge, Teddy Uris, Phil Malkin, his sister Susie, and Ronnie Grogan—who investigate the disappearance of their classmate, Matty Clements.
Their investigation leads them to the local movie theater, where a screening of The Music Man turns into a nightmare. A monstrous, winged creature attacks them, leading to a bloodbath. The episode ends with the gruesome deaths of Teddy, Phil, and Susie. Only Lilly and Ronnie escape alive, with Lilly clutching Susie’s severed hand.
This shocking ending was a deliberate choice by the creators to subvert audience expectations and show that this would not be a simple rehash of the Losers’ Club story from the films. Barbara Muschietti, an executive producer, said, “It was important for us to tell a very unpredictable story, because we couldn’t repeat the movies.” Andy Muschietti added that the brutal scene was meant to prove that “in this world, no one will be safe.”
A Deeper Look at Pennywise
While Bill Skarsgård returns as the terrifying Pennywise, the creature does not appear in his classic clown form in the first episode. The show instead introduces new versions of the entity to explore its different dimensions. Fuchs noted that the team felt they had to “create something special” to convince Skarsgård to return, and that meant integrating the character into a story that fit a “younger Pennywise.”
The series will also explore why Pennywise chooses to stay in Derry and why it primarily preys on children. “Why does It stay in Derry? It could go somewhere else,” Muschietti posed. “Why does It take advantage of children? Because adults don’t understand what happens to them.”
A Story Rooted in Real Horrors
The series also tackles the real-world horrors that fester beneath Derry’s surface. A key subplot follows Major Leroy Hanlon, a Black veteran of the Korean War played by Jovan Adepo, as he faces racial discrimination after being assigned to a base in the mostly white town. The show does not shy away from the brutal realities of life in 1962 America, depicting the “small indignities and gestures of disrespect” Hanlon endures.
Release Schedule and How to Watch
It: Welcome to Derry airs on HBO and is available to stream on Max. The first season consists of eight episodes, releasing weekly on Sunday nights. The season finale is scheduled for December 14, 2025.
The full release schedule is:
- Episode 1: October 26
- Episode 2: November 2
- Episode 3: November 9
- Episode 4: November 16
- Episode 5: November 23
- Episode 6: November 30
- Episode 7: December 7
- Episode 8: December 14
The premiere episode has received a mostly positive response from critics, who praised its production values, atmosphere, and shocking twist ending.
Also Read: It: Welcome to Derry Episode 2 Drops Early for a Halloween Scare
