Last year HBO announced that the It prequel television series, Welcome to Derry, was officially moving ahead and greenlit to a full season. The show centers around the origins of Pennywise the Clown and now HBO has confirmed the most central piece of that story is returning. Bill Skarsgård will be reprising his role from the previous It films.
Welcome to Derry, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, is being developed by the director of the movies, Andy Muschietti, along with his sister, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs.
Just when you thought your nightmares were over…
Bill Skarsgård has been cast in the Max Original Series Welcome to Derry (working title), reprising his role as Pennywise from “It” and “It Chapter Two.” pic.twitter.com/tm3pNduKrZ
— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 30, 2024
It was previously announced that Taylour Paige (Zola), Jovan Adepo (Watchmen), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason), and James Remar (Oppenheimer) were added to the cast in undisclosed roles. This is the first official adaptation of the It series that isn’t based on any previous material. Elements of the story partially come from what was initially intended to be included in It: Chapter One, but had to be cut for budget reasons.
Welcome to Derry will begin in the 1960s in the time leading up to the events of It: Chapter One. The series is set to be released at some point in 2025, but originally, it was scheduled to release during Halloween 2024. It was pushed to 2025 due to last year’s dual strikes.