HBO Max is taking us back to the haunted town of Derry—and this time, it’s the 1960s, the fear runs deeper, and Pennywise is back with a vengeance.
The streamer just dropped the first official teaser for Welcome to Derry, the prequel series to the blockbuster It films, and it’s every bit as eerie as you’d expect. Set decades before the Losers’ Club made their stand, the series introduces a new generation of kids who slowly realize their small town harbors something unspeakable beneath the surface.
Led by a stellar cast—Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso, and the chilling return of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Dancing Clown—the show is shaping up to be a must-watch for horror lovers and King heads alike.
The teaser gives us a glimpse into life in Derry in the ’60s—a seemingly normal town, until the cracks begin to show. We meet the new ensemble of kids, spot that signature red balloon, and by the end? Pennywise shows up to remind us exactly why we’ve never looked at clowns the same.
Welcome to Derry was developed by Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, the sibling duo behind the It films, along with Jason Fuchs, who co-showruns the series alongside Brad Caleb Kane. Andy Muschietti also directed four of the nine episodes. The series is based on the world Stephen King created in his 1986 novel It, with new stories that expand the mythos of Derry and the darkness that haunts it.
Executive producers include Fuchs, Kane, Skarsgård, David Coatsworth, Shelley Meals, Roy Lee, and Dan Lin. The Muschiettis produce through their Double Dream banner.
The original films collectively earned over $1.17 billion at the global box office, so expectations are sky-high. And judging by this first teaser? Welcome to Derry isn’t here to play—it’s here to haunt.
The nine-episode series premieres this fall on HBO, and will stream on Max. No exact release date just yet, but brace yourselves. Pennywise always floats back.
Watch the teaser above.