Welcome To Derry: Cast, Story, Teaser Trailer & Everything We Know About The It Prequel Series

Summary Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role as Pennywise the Clown in Welcome to Derry.

Welcome to Derry is confirmed and set to be released in 2025 exclusively on HBO Max, although there is a possibility that the release date could be pushed back.

The prequel series will feature a new cast and will explore the origin story of Pennywise, set in the 1960s, in a completely original plot as Stephen King did not write a prequel to It. More details are yet to be revealed.

Welcome to Derry is the upcoming prequel to Andy Muscietti’s highly successful Stephen King movies It and It Chapter Two, and as work on the It TV series is well underway at HBO Max there’s already plenty to discuss. The It movies and story focus on the town of Derry, Maine, which is plagued every 27 years by a malevolent presence known as Pennywise. Pennywise is a demonic clown with extradimensional origins, able to take on a variety of ghoulish forms.

Pennywise feeds on fear, and his favorite snack is children, making him a more than terrifying adversary in It and It Chapter Two. While the origins of Pennywise, including why he takes the form of a clown, are hinted at in the original Stephen King novel and Muscietti’s It movies, much of his past is mysterious. The upcoming It prequel series Welcome to Derry will be expanding on the history of Derry’s killer clown, and will give a much more prolonged look at how his reign of terror affects the fictional city in Maine.

Related 6 Reasons Welcome To Derry Is More Exciting Than It Chapter 3 Welcome to Derry will revisit the home of Pennywise in an IT prequel series, and there are several reasons why it's better than getting IT Chapter 3.

Most Recent Welcome To Derry News

Bill Skarsgård Will Return As Pennywise

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After reports suggested the popular character actor would sit out the prequel series, the latest news confirms that Bill Skarsgård will play Pennywise in Welcome to Derry. Playing the part in both of the most recent It films, Skarsgård flexed his horror muscles and established his place as a legitimate force in the genre. Now, he will not only play the terrifying clown again but will be one of the show's executive producers.

Welcome To Derry Is Confirmed

The It Prequel Series Is Happening

Welcome to Derry is confirmed, with the announcement made in March 2022 (via Variety) alongside the reveal that Andy and Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs would be producing the It prequel series for HBO Max. Filming began in 2023 though was promptly delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike which was eventually resolved in November 2023. No further shooting information has been revealed, but Pennywise actor Bill Skarsgård has joined as an executive producer.

It and It Chapter 2 are available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and YouTube.

Welcome To Derry Cast

Who Is Playing Pennywise In HBO's It Prequel Series?

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The Welcome to Derry cast has been partially revealed, although there have not been any teases about whom the actors starring in HBO’s It prequel series are playing. Most of the actors announced thus far comprise the younger cast of the show, following the trend set by It which saw a group of misfit youth take on the interdimensional creature. Though there will probably be a few connections to the cast of the most recent It movies, the characters will probably be all-new since it is set in the 1960s.

In a bit of welcome news for horror fans, it has now been confirmed that Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Earlier news suggested he would not appear in the prequel, but now the veteran character actor will once again don the clown suit and pull double duty as an executive producer as well.

The confirmed cast of Welcome to Derry includes:

Actor Welcome To Derry Role Bill Skarsgård Pennywise Jovan Adepo Unknown Chris Chalk Unknown Taylour Paige Unknown James Remar Unknown Stephen Rider Unknown Madeleine Stowe Unknown

Welcome To Derry Story

What Is HBO's It Prequel Series About?

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Very little has been revealed about the Welcome to Derry plot. Stephen King never wrote a prequel to It, so the story of the HBO show will be completely original. The only confirmed details are that it will contain an origin story for Pennywise, and that it will be set in the 1960s (via Variety). Until HBO or Andy Muschietti choose to reveal any more details, that’s all that’s known about the story of Welcome to Derry. More will likely become clear when a full trailer or official plot synopsis arrives from HBO.

Welcome To Derry Teaser Trailer

Watch The Brief Teaser Below

The first footage for Welcome to Derry has been revealed as part of HBO's latest promo for new and returning shows. The footage is a small part of the video, starting at the 1:35 minute mark, in the "Coming in 2025" portion. It shows a group of kids riding bikes, as well as Pennywise's red balloon, and a voiceover of the words "This ain't America, this is Derry." While the new footage doesn't reveal too much, it does give a good sense of the way that the IT prequel show will approach the source material.