HBO Max has officially unveiled the first teaser trailer for It: Welcome to Derry, a prequel series to the blockbuster It films based on Stephen King’s iconic horror novel. The highly anticipated series promises to dive deeper into the sinister history of Derry, Maine, and the origins of the demonic clown Pennywise.
Set in the early 1960s—27 years before the events of the first It movie—the show follows a new group of characters as they begin to uncover the disturbing secrets hidden beneath the surface of their seemingly quiet town. The teaser, which debuted on HBO Max’s official YouTube channel and across social media platforms, gives audiences a glimpse into the haunting atmosphere, eerie children’s laughter, and ominous red balloons that fans have come to associate with Pennywise.
“This is not the Derry you know. This is where the nightmare began,” reads the teaser’s chilling tagline.
The series will feature the return of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, reprising his role from the 2017 and 2019 It films. The creative team behind the franchise also returns, including director Andy Muschietti, who is set to helm multiple episodes. Muschietti also serves as an executive producer, alongside Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs.
Welcome to Derry is set to consist of nine episodes, and HBO Max has confirmed that it will premiere in Fall 2025.
The teaser hints at a storyline involving a family newly arrived in Derry, gradually drawn into the town’s dark legacy. The series reportedly draws inspiration from the novel’s “interludes”—chapters that chronicle the town’s cursed history over centuries. According to the official synopsis, the show will explore how Derry’s cycle of violence and fear has repeated across generations, long before the Losers’ Club faced Pennywise in the ’80s.
Fans have responded enthusiastically online, praising the teaser’s visual tone and commitment to the style of the original films. Horror communities are already speculating about possible connections to King’s wider universe and what lore the series may expand upon.
Watch the teaser here:
