It: Welcome to Derry arrives on HBO Max to crown a 2025 filled with adaptations of the works of the king of horror. This time the turn comes to this serie set in the universe of Pennywise the clown to narrate the terrible events that befell the fictional town located in the state of Maine before what is seen in Stephen King’s novel.
The author himself has participated in the series as an executive producer and creative advisor, so, as is customary with the Maine genius, he has had to give the go-ahead to all the scripts, as well as to the major narrative arcs of the plot devised by Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman) and Brad Kane (Tokyo Vice).
On the other hand, the production also features the presence of director Andy Muschietti, the mastermind behind the popular adaptation of the novel to cinema in two parts released in 2017 and 2019. As for the casting, the series features the return of the caricatured Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, as well as Taylor Paige (Zola), Jovan Adepo (Overlord), Chris Chalk (Gotham), James Remar (Dexter), or Madeleine Stowe (12 Monkeys).
What is the plot of It: Welcome to Derry
The series is set in the 1960s, about thirty years before the events seen in Muschietti’s films, to present the origin of this evil that haunts the small town of Derry during the height of the civil rights era. A small town that stands on the threshold of being shaken again by the terror cycle that afflicts it every 27 years.
There we will meet a new group of young protagonists who must facethe evil Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), as they become aware of the horror that has been haunting the town since time immemorial and that everyone seems to forget. A trauma that is associated with the name of Derry and that connects with the place’s own mythology.
Chriis Chalk se pone en la piel de Dick Halloran, el mítico cocinero del hotel Overlook de El Resplandor que aquí jugará un papel crucial.
In their investigation, they will not only uncover the city’s darkest secrets, but also unravel the mystery surrounding the killer clown and the origin of its grim history. A loose adaptation of Stephen King’s well-known novel that aims to expand the author’s rich universe with an engaging series that carries a strong sense of homage to one of the culminating novels of 1980s pop culture.
Stephen King, the King of Adaptations
The Maine-born writer is not only one of the most recognized mainstream authors worldwide and a true aficionado of storytelling who never stops releasing new tales each year, but also one of the most adapted authors in the history of cinema and television. A cultural phenomenon that remains synonymous with success for producers and screenwriters.
Notably, in this very year 2025, five more adaptations of his extensive bibliography have been tallied, in addition to the It series. We are talking about The Monkey, The Institute series, The Long Walk, and The Running Man, which will debut next November. One should also add to the list the peculiar case of The Life of Chuck, whose production dates from 2024 but has recently premiered in our country.
Once again, a group of young people from Derry seem to be the only ones capable of stopping the dreaded Pennywise.
It: Welcome to Derry is HBO Max’s new horror bet, a series that aims to be one of the platform’s major premieres ahead of Halloween. A standout production that has the backing of Stephen King himself and that will delve into the It universe to uncover the origin of Pennywise and the evil that plagues Derry.
