Andy and Barbara Muschietti Tease ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ — Promise to “Raise the Bar” on Shock and Horror

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Stephen King’s terrifying story of IT is returning, this time as a new TV series. Called Welcome to Derry, the show will premiere on HBO on October 26th and serves as a prequel to the popular IT movies from 2017 and 2019. The same team who made those films – Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs – are developing this new series.

Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, and Stephen Rider will star in the new series. Bill Skarsgård is back as the terrifying Pennywise the Clown, and he’s also helping behind the scenes as an executive producer.

What began as an idea for a movie transformed into a nine-part series set years before the events of the films. The story returns to Derry, Maine—a town filled with hidden secrets, darkness, and an age-old power that thrives on fear.

Andy Muschietti, discussing the new series with HBO, explained that television allows for a more expansive and adaptable way to build upon the world of *IT*. He mentioned he hadn’t worked on a TV show before, but appreciates many of them, and believes the longer format gives creators the opportunity to delve into storylines and mysteries that wouldn’t be possible in a film.

The filmmakers were fascinated by the lingering questions in Stephen King’s novel. As Andy put it, their appreciation for the book and its many mysteries drove them to investigate the true nature of ‘IT’ and its motivations – what does it actually want?

The creators, the Muschiettis, are aiming to make the show genuinely frightening. Andy Muschietti explained they want to push the boundaries of what’s considered shocking. He described the beginning of the show as deliberately unsettling and unpredictable, designed to immediately grab the audience’s attention and build suspense to a breaking point.

The first season of *Welcome to Derry* is set in the 1960s, a time filled with Cold War anxieties and widespread fear. According to Andy, this historical setting enhances the story’s horror. He explained that exploring the era was exciting, as it allowed them to examine what people feared then – specifically, the threat of nuclear war. Schools held drills, and a general sense of worry about the future permeated everyday life.

As a big fan, I was really intrigued by the addition of a military base just outside of Derry. It immediately felt like something was brewing beneath the surface, and it definitely ramped up the suspense. It’s clear this base isn’t just there for scenery – it’s going to be important to the story, and in a pretty unsettling way, I suspect.

I just got a sneak peek at the plans for *Welcome to Derry*, and it’s ambitious! Apparently, the creators are thinking way beyond just one season. Andy Muschiettis told me they envision the show unfolding over multiple seasons, each one diving deeper into Derry’s history, going further and further back in time. He described it as an iceberg – we’ll only see the tip in Season 1, but there’s a massive, interconnected story hidden beneath the surface that will be revealed over Seasons 1, 2, and 3. It sounds like they’re building something really special, and I’m already hooked!

Andy says the next season, Season 2, will take place in 1935. The story will explore the history of Pennywise and the source of the darkness that has plagued Derry for so long.

“Welcome to Derry” builds on the story established in Stephen King’s novel and previous movie adaptations, taking ideas from the book’s historical sections that revealed the town’s dark past. The series combines psychological suspense, historical storytelling, and supernatural horror to create a new, uniquely frightening experience that will feel both recognizable and completely new.

Run. #ITWelcomeToDerry premieres October 26 on HBO Max.

— HBO Max (@hbomax) October 14, 2025

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2025-10-15 13:14