The HBO series It: Welcome to Derry has brought Stephen King’s monster back to our screens, but for many fans, the horror high point remains the second movie. The new show, which premiered on October 26, 2025, is a prequel set in the 1960s, exploring the earlier horrors of the town. Bill Skarsgård returns as the terrifying Pennywise the Dancing Clown, a role he first made famous in 2017. However, despite this new story expanding the universe, the 2019 film It Chapter Two continues to be remembered for its intense emotional punch and the climactic end to the Losers’ Club saga.
The 2019 sequel, directed by Andy Muschietti, had a massive challenge. It needed to conclude the story that began with the beloved first film and deliver on years of built-up fear. The film brought back the adult members of the Losers Club, played by stars like Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader, to face Pennywise one last time. At nearly three hours long, it is an epic horror film that mixes genuine scares with a deep story about friendship, memory, and overcoming childhood trauma.
“His ability to transform is mind-blowing to me,” director Andy Muschietti said about casting Skarsgård as Pennywise. “One second he can act all cute, and then the next, there’s something ancestral and dark that just appears.”
While the first It movie was about the kids confronting their fears, Chapter Two is about adults being forced to relive them. The movie shows that the monsters from your childhood don’t just disappear when you grow up; sometimes, you have to go back and fight them again. This theme hit home for many viewers, making the horror feel more personal and the characters’ victory more meaningful.
It: Welcome to Derry takes a different approach. Set decades before the movies, it aims to build the mythology of the town and its monstrous resident. Early reviews of the series have been mixed. Some critics praise its ambition and the way it expands the lore, calling it a “worthy prequel series”.
However, a common note in many reviews is that the series struggles with pacing and balancing its many storylines. It also faces the classic prequel problem: since viewers know Pennywise isn’t defeated in this story, creating real suspense for the new characters is a tough task. Some critics feel the show relies heavily on computer-generated scares, which can feel less frightening than the practical, character-driven terror of the films.
This is where It Chapter Two has a clear advantage. After two films, audiences were deeply invested in the fate of Bill, Beverly, Ben, Richie, Eddie, Mike, and Stan. Their final battle in the sewer is emotionally charged, especially with the tragic death of Eddie Kaspbrak. The movie’s ending, which sees the survivors move on with their lives and the scars on their hands finally fade, provides a powerful and cathartic conclusion to their 27-year nightmare.
In contrast, Welcome to Derry introduces a whole new cast of characters in the 1960s. While the cast has been praised, it takes time for an audience to connect with new faces in the same way. The series focuses more on uncovering the origin of the evil rather than finishing a deeply personal story.
Both the series and It Chapter Two make big changes from Stephen King’s original 1986 novel. The book is over a thousand pages long and filled with subplots and cosmic horror elements that are difficult to film.
The movie changed major elements like the Ritual of Chüd, simplifying it for the screen. In the book, the ritual involves a bizarre psychic battle of jokes and willpower. The film also created new, heartbreaking scenes not found in the novel, such as the death of a boy named Dean, which was specifically crafted to torment Bill Denbrough with guilt over his brother Georgie.
Welcome to Derry pulls different elements from King’s vast universe, including more focus on the history of Derry and the Indigenous origins of the creature. It serves as a new entry point, with one reviewer noting, “You don’t have to watch Muschietti’s movies or read any of King’s books to grasp what’s unfolding”.
The audience scores tell their own story. On IMDb, It Chapter Two holds a solid rating, with many user reviews calling it a satisfying, if flawed, conclusion. Fans particularly highlight the performances of Bill Hader as the adult Richie and, of course, Bill Skarsgård’s chilling return as Pennywise.
Reviews for Welcome to Derry are more divided. Some call it “a total monster mash that should satisfy hungry horror fans,” while others find it an “unnecessary prequel” that lacks the magic of the films. A frequent criticism is that Pennywise himself feels underused in the series, with Skarsgård having limited screen time.
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For pure, classic horror fun, It: Welcome to Derry offers a new season of scares in a familiar setting. But for a horror story with profound emotional weight, iconic performances, and a finale that truly finishes what it started, It Chapter Two remains the champion of Derry. It proves that the scariest monster isn’t always the one with the clown makeup; it’s the haunting power of the past, and the courage it takes to finally face it down.
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