The red balloon is back, and so is Pennywise the Dancing Clown. HBO Max dropped the first trailer for Welcome to Derry, the chilling prequel series to Stephen King’s It, and it’s clear that the terror of Derry, Maine, is far from over. Set to premiere this fall, the show promises to dive into the origins of the shape-shifting monster that’s been giving us nightmares since King’s 1986 novel. With Bill Skarsgård slipping back into Pennywise’s creepy clown shoes, Welcome to Derry looks ready to deliver the same mix of dread and fascination that made the 2017 and 2019 It films such massive hits.
A Glimpse into Derry’s Dark Past
The trailer, unveiled on May 20, 2025, teases a story set 27 years before the events of Andy Muschietti’s It movies, which raked in over $1.1 billion combined at the box office. Welcome to Derry takes us back to the 1960s, exploring one of Pennywise’s earlier killing sprees in the cursed town of Derry. As fans of King’s novel know, the entity known as “It” awakens every 27 years to feed on the fear of children, and this series will dig into the town’s grim history during one of those cycles. The trailer hints at a new group of kids facing off against the clown, with quick cuts of eerie scenes: a red balloon floating over a foggy street, a zombie-like hand snatching at a teen, and terrified screams in a movie theater.
Andy Muschietti, who directed both It films, is back to helm four of the series’ nine episodes, while his sister Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs (a co-producer on It: Chapter Two) are developing the show. The trio has been vocal about their love for King’s world. “This is a book we love a lot, and we felt there was still a lot of story to be covered,” they told Entertainment Weekly. The series leans on Mike Hanlon’s interludes from the novel, which chronicle Derry’s catastrophic past through interviews with the town’s elders. Expect themes of friendship, loss, and the weaponization of fear—plus plenty of “demented scares,” as HBO Max’s head of originals, Sarah Aubrey, put it.
Pennywise and a Stacked Cast
Bill Skarsgård’s return as Pennywise is a big deal. His chilling take on the clown in the It films was a standout, blending menace with a twisted playfulness that echoed Tim Curry’s iconic 1990 miniseries performance while feeling fresh. Skarsgård, who’s also an executive producer, teased on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast that the series will explore “parts of Pennywise we haven’t seen” and won’t hold back on the horror. “It’s going to be hardcore,” he said, hinting at a darker, gorier vibe that HBO’s premium cable freedom allows.
The cast is stacked with talent, including Taylour Paige (Zola), Jovan Adepo (The Leftovers), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason), James Remar (Black Lightning), Stephen Rider (Daredevil), Madeleine Stowe (Revenge), and Rudy Mancuso (Música). While most roles are still under wraps, early images suggest Adepo might play Will Hanlon, Mike’s father, a key figure in the novel’s backstory about the Black Spot, a Black-owned club burned down by white supremacists—an event where Pennywise appeared as a giant bird.
A Fresh Spin on a Familiar Nightmare
Unlike the It films, which stuck close to King’s novel, Welcome to Derry is largely an original story, since King never wrote a prequel. The series will flesh out Pennywise’s origins and Derry’s haunted history, possibly touching on the entity’s cosmic roots in the Macroverse or its ancient rivalry with the Turtle, as hinted in the book. The trailer suggests a focus on the Black Spot incident, a pivotal moment from the novel’s lore, while weaving in new characters and terrors.
Muschietti’s involvement is a good sign—he’s got a knack for balancing coming-of-age heart with gut-punching horror. The trailer’s glimpses of kids biking through Derry and facing off against unseen terrors feel like a nod to the Losers’ Club, but the 1960s setting and fresh faces promise a new angle. HBO’s track record with dark, prestige horror (think The Last of Us) bodes well for a show that’s not afraid to get bloody and unsettling.
What’s Next for Derry?
Welcome to Derry is set to drop in September 2025 on HBO and Max, with nine episodes planned for its first season. If it’s a hit, two more seasons are in the works, jumping further back to 1935 and 1908 to explore Derry’s cursed past. Production wrapped in August 2024 after filming in Canada, despite delays from the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The trailer’s cryptic vibe—ending with a creepy grin behind a storefront window—has fans on X hyped for a return to King’s universe.
With Skarsgård’s Pennywise lurking, a killer cast, and Muschietti’s vision, Welcome to Derry looks poised to keep us up at night. As the trailer warns, “This ain’t America. This is Derry.” Get ready to float again.