Small-town drama, cosmic clown infestations and... a cinematic universe?
Following initial reports of a prequel series to the IT horror movies of 2017 and 2019 (based on the 1986 Stephen King novel of the same name) in 2022, fans were delighted when the first official trailer for the project, released in March 2025, made the series out to be exactly as unnerving as one would hope.
Just a few months later, on September 23, 2025, the official YouTube channel of HBO Max (its future streaming home) graced us with a new trailer revealing further plot details and – not less important – the episodes' scheduled release dates.
Previous Hints & Teases
The series was conceived as a means to explore the earlier cycles of the terror caused by the ancient reality-bending deity taking on the form of horror clown Pennywise (or just IT) in the town of Derry. Developed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti together with Jason Fuchs, it is set up as a nine-episode first season with plans to span three seasons total (depicting events in 1962, 1935, 1908).
Known cast and production details include Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as Pennywise while also serving as executive producer, with other cast members including Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, and Madeleine Stowe. Production began in 2023 in locations in Ontario (Toronto, Hamilton, Port Hope), experienced delays (notably due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike), and finished in August 2024.
In interviews, Andy Muschietti and other leading creatives emphasized that the project aims to expand on the mythology behind IT, whose cosmic and trans-dimensional origins are usually only hinted at throughout canon media. In doing so, the plot will draw from the "interlude chapters" of the original novel.
New Reveals & Speculations
The September 23 trailer elaborated on the teases with new narrative and visual details, foregrounding a family relocating to Derry in 1962, whose arrival coincides with mysterious disappearances and mounting tension in the town, leading to them seemingly becoming the subject of hostility and distrust. Furthermore, we can see a meteor crashing down, playing into the theory that Pennywise arrived from outer space.
One of the notable new revelations is the presence of numerous references linking Welcome to Derry to other King works; for instance, the appearance of a vehicle marked "Shawshank State Prison" and references to The Shining via the character Dick Hallorann (known for being featured in one of the most-difficult-to-realize scenes in movie history); comparatively on-the-nose attempts to draw a connection between King-based media, which have not gone unappreciated:
"I love how they showed Shawshank prison here. This just confirms that ALL the Stephen King stories are connected in one way or another!" – YouTube user Shadow-Man94
At the very end, the first episode was revealed to be released on October 26, 2025. Given the weekly schedule we already knew about beforehand, we can assume that the first season will be concluded on December 14, 2025.
But what do you think? Are you excited for a potential "Stephen King Cinematic Universe" or do you think this approach may detract from the IT mythos? Let us know in the comments!