The creators of the upcoming HBO series It: Welcome to Derry have promised a terrifying experience, revealing their goal to raise the bar for on-screen shock value. In a recent interview, director Andy Muschietti detailed the show’s intense opening scene, designed to immediately unsettle viewers. The series, which premieres on October 26, 2025, on HBO and HBO Max, will explore the dark origins of the iconic clown Pennywise and the cursed town of Derry.
The Drive Behind the Shock
Andy and Barbara Muschietti, the creative duo behind the hit It films, are extending the story with this prequel series. They shared that from the very beginning, they wanted to create something that would deeply unnerve their audience. Andy Muschietti explained the thinking behind the show’s powerful opening, stating that they wanted an event shocking enough to put the audience in a position where nothing is taken for granted. He emphasized the importance of the scene’s build-up, which leads to what he describes as a big, graphic, and shocking conclusion. The intent is to immediately signal that in the world of Derry, nothing is safe.
A Story Told Backwards
It: Welcome to Derry is not just a simple prequel. The creators have a larger plan that involves telling the story of Derry and Pennywise across multiple seasons, and they plan to do it by moving backwards in time. The first season is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of the first It film. The story follows a family—Leroy Hanlon, his wife Charlotte, and their son—as they move to Derry just as a young boy goes missing. Leroy Hanlon is the grandfather of Mike Hanlon, a key member of the Losers’ Club from the original story.
Andy Muschietti has confirmed plans for a three-season story arc. If the series continues, the second season would jump back to 1935, and a potential third season would be set in 1908. He described this approach as a “hidden story” that is told backward, with a final conclusion that will reveal the events in which the entity known as “It” became the clown Pennywise. This structure aims to methodically unpack the mysteries and mythology that Stephen King embedded in his original novel.
Roots in King’s Novel and a New 1960s Vibe
The series draws heavy inspiration from a specific part of Stephen King’s book: the interlude chapters. These sections, presented as the research of the character Mike Hanlon, document the long and violent history of Derry. The show’s creators saw these interludes as a blueprint for a deeper exploration. Andy Muschietti referred to them as a puzzle intentionally left unfinished by King, which the series now aims to solve.
By setting the first season in 1962, the show also captures a feeling closer to the spirit of King’s book, which was partly set in the 1950s. The producers have stated that this era allows them to tap into the specific textures and social anxieties of the time, including the Cold War and nuclear fears, which create a rich backdrop for Pennywise’s terror.
Pennywise Returns with a Mystery
Bill Skarsgård will return to his celebrated role as Pennywise the Clown and also serves as an executive producer on the series. The idea for the prequel began with conversations between Skarsgård and Andy Muschietti while they were finishing It Chapter Two. They found themselves fascinated by the origin story of the clown and the cryptic human alias, Bob Gray. The series will seek to answer why an ancient, interdimensional being would choose to keep returning to a small Maine town and why it prefers the form of a clown to feed on fear.
The show’s cast also includes Jovan Adepo as Leroy Hanlon, Taylour Paige as Charlotte, and Chris Chalk as a younger version of Dick Hallorann, the cook from The Shining. The story will also introduce an Indigenous character named Rose, played by Kimberly Guerrero, who possesses ancestral knowledge of the evil that plagues Derry, hinting at a much longer history of conflict with “It.”
Also Read: IT: Welcome to Derry Expands Stephen King Universe with Major Character Crossovers
