It: Welcome to Derry Trailer Confirms October Release!
The new It: Welcome to Derry trailer dispenses more plot details for the upcoming HBO Max series and officially confirms that the series will premiere in October 2025. The exact date is still TBA.
Welcome to Derry is a prequel to the smash hit It (2017) and its much less popular follow up, It Chapter Two (2019). Andy Muschietti, who directed both films, is involved as an executive producer.
All of these are, of course, adaptions based on the original 1986 Stephen King novel. Thankfully Bill Skarsgard is returning to play Pennywise. James Remar, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, and Stephen Rider round out the It Welcome to Derry cast.
Chalk is playing Dick Halloran, a character from The Shining and its sequel, Dr. Sleep. I’m interested to see how he’s used here.
It: Welcome to Derry Trailer Breakdown
The trailer hits the same general beats as the previous teaser, which I wrote about previously, so I’ll just add a few more thoughts here.
0:00-0:15 – It’s 1962, and a Black family has just moved to the quaint little town of Derry, Maine. Derry seems pleasant enough at first, but it doesn’t take long for the town’s dark underbelly to emerge. Along with Pennywise, I’m sure this family will have to contend with prejudice as well.
0:57-0:58 – A bus is headed to Shawshank prison. It’s always fun to spot the connections between different Stephen King works. Halloran’s presence connects this to The Shining, and now we have a Shawshank Redemption link as well. How many other King characters and places will appear?
1:41 – A quick shot of a group of girls in a blinding light, probably brainwashed Pennywise victims. This trailer emphasizes the mental and emotional toll on Derry’s population. Pennywise has always been a master manipulator, but this series looks like it’s going to delve into psychological horror more than the prior adaptions.
Hopefully, we’ll get the exact It: Welcome to Derry release date soon. In the meantime, here’s the trailer!
