Welcome to Derry first trailer takes viewers back to the land of IT, and there are new scares waiting 

HBO has released the official teaser for Welcome to Derry, a prequel to It and It Chapter Two, set to premiere in fall 2025 on HBO and HBO Max. The series is developed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti along with Jason Fuchs. The nine-episode show expands the cinematic world based on Stephen King’s It, taking viewers back to Derry, Maine, in 1962, 27 years before the events of the films.

Welcome to Derry explores the early origins of Pennywise the Clown and the first wave of children affected by his presence.

The story centers on a Black family newly settled in Derry, whose arrival coincides with a string of child disappearances. One of the central events anchoring the season is the burning of the Black Spot, a real location from King’s novel known for its racial history and supernatural associations.

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Welcome to Derry teaser trailer offers a first look at Bill Skarsgård's return as Pennywise, laughing menacingly from the sewer shadows

The teaser trailer for Welcome to Derry delivers the long-awaited return of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, giving viewers a chilling glimpse of the character. As he emerges from the sewer, he lets out his familiar, unsettling laugh.

In the trailer for Welcome to Derry, Taylour Paige’s character expresses growing concern about the unsettling events in town, asking:

“This business with the missing kids, do I need to be concerned?”

Another character, hinting at an underlying threat, warns her:

“Never a bad idea to keep the people you love close,”

As the mystery deepens, a group of children begins to suspect something darker at play. One child admits:

“No adult's ever gonna believe what we saw,”

While another agrees, saying:

“They wouldn't believe it either.”

Connecting present-day horrors to the town’s long-standing legacy of unexplained tragedies, a third child adds weight to their fear, noting:

“There's a history of stuff like this happening in Derry,”

The story follows an African American family that relocates to the town, only to encounter a series of unexplained child disappearances. Their arrival coincides with rising tensions in the community and the reawakening of the entity known as "It."

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A new cycle of terror begins in 1962

Welcome to Derry, anchors its narrative in the burning of the Black Spot, a real event from the It novel involving a nightclub targeted in a racially motivated attack. The show presents this incident as one of the catastrophic events marking Pennywise’s 27-year cycle, consistent with the established lore.

The series also leans into the broader timeline explored in the novel’s interludes. Muschietti indicated that season 1 is set in 1962, with later seasons potentially exploring earlier years such as 1935 and 1908.

These time jumps reflect the historical investigation done by Mike Hanlon in the novel, where he interviews Derry’s older residents about previous manifestations of the creature.

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Cast, creators, and show direction

The series features Bill Skarsgård, Madeleine Stowe, Chris Chalk, Stephen Rider, Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, James Remar, and Rudy Mancuso in key roles. While HBO has not formally confirmed character names, Adepo is reportedly portraying a younger version of Will Hanlon, while Paige may be playing his wife, Jessica.

The creative team includes Andy and Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs, and Brad Caleb Kane. Fuchs wrote the teleplay for the pilot and serves as co-showrunner alongside Kane. Although Skarsgård was not originally attached to the series, he ultimately returned to reprise his role as Pennywise, reinforcing the visual and thematic continuity with the earlier films.

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Stay tuned for more updates.