Welcome to Derry: Everything We Know About the IT Prequel Series So Far

The red balloons are floating again, and the sewers of Derry are stirring. HBO Max’s upcoming horror series Welcome to Derry is set to expand the terrifying universe of Stephen King’s IT, serving as a prequel to the blockbuster films directed by Andy Muschietti. The show dives deeper into the cursed town’s history - and, of course, into the origins of its most infamous resident: Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

With the first official trailer now released, fans are getting their first taste of what promises to be a chilling descent into the past of Derry, Maine. Here’s everything we know so far about the show - from trailer breakdown to cast and plot details, plus how it ties directly into IT (2017) and IT: Chapter Two (2019).

🎈 Trailer Breakdown: The Horror Returns

The Welcome to Derry trailer is a slow-burning nightmare, packed with ominous clues for longtime fans. It opens with vintage footage of Derry in the 1960s, featuring children on bikes, smiling townsfolk - and, as expected, a creeping sense of dread underneath it all.

Highlights from the trailer include:

• A blood-soaked bathroom mirror, echoing Beverly Marsh’s infamous scene in IT (2017)

• Red balloons appearing in unexpected places - from a child’s birthday to a funeral

• The sound of faint laughter echoing from a storm drain

• A fleeting shot of Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise silhouette in the distance

• A cryptic voiceover: “Derry has always been hungry.”

The trailer makes it clear: Welcome to Derry isn’t just a backstory - it’s a full-on descent into the madness that shaped one of horror’s most cursed towns.

🧠 Plot: A Town Built on Fear

Set in the 1960s, Welcome to Derry takes place decades before the Losers’ Club faced Pennywise. The story explores how Derry became a feeding ground for evil and focuses on the systemic, almost ritualistic nature of the town’s tragedies - mysterious child disappearances, mass hallucinations, and the townspeople’s chilling indifference.

According to the official synopsis, the series will “track the emergence of a shapeshifting evil that has preyed on the town for centuries,” tying into the cyclical nature of IT’s appearances (every 27 years). We’ll also explore the earlier victims - those whose stories were only hinted at in the films.

Pennywise Returns - But Not as You Know Him

While Bill Skarsgård will not return to play Pennywise (as of official confirmations), the show will still feature the clown - either through recasting or flashbacks - but in a more mythological and shifting form. Expect new interpretations of how “It” appears, tied to different fears and traumas of the era.

This creative decision opens the door for Welcome to Derry to expand the concept of Pennywise beyond the clown - embracing the true cosmic terror that lurks beneath Derry.

An Expansion of the Stephen King Universe

Welcome to Derry aims to flesh out the mythology behind "It". Longtime fans of the novel will recognize deeper references to King’s cosmic horror elements - including the idea that Pennywise is just one form of a primordial evil that exists beyond human understanding.

This opens the door for the series to explore themes rarely touched in the movies, like:

• The Macroverse and the being known as “It”

• The ancient rituals that once tried (and failed) to stop the cycle

• The idea that Derry is a focal point for supernatural darkness

By grounding the story in the town’s past, Welcome to Derry doesn’t just revisit the fear - it asks why it never left.

Visually Linked, Tonally Evolved

Thanks to Andy Muschietti's return as executive producer and director of multiple episodes, Welcome to Derry retains the visual DNA of the IT films. Expect high production values, moody lighting, rich colors, and carefully constructed suspense scenes.

However, early interviews suggest the tone will be slower and more psychological, in contrast to the jumpier pacing of the films. It’s horror designed to build unease over time - showing how ordinary lives slowly unravel when touched by ancient evil.

Final Thoughts

Welcome to Derry isn’t just a return to a familiar horror icon - it’s a deeper, more unnerving dive into why Derry has always been cursed. With a rich period setting, carefully crafted scares, and a larger look at the forces that shaped Pennywise, this prequel has the potential to be the most disturbing chapter yet in the IT saga.

If the trailer is any indication, we’re not just going back to Derry… we’re going underneath it.