Pennywise is back: here’s your first look at the spin-off TV show It: Welcome to Derry

Ready to be scared of Pennywise the Clown again? Here’s your first look at It: Welcome to Derry, a new spin-off TV show that delves deeper into the mystery behind one of Stephen King’s most enduring horrors.

It: Welcome to Derry explores the tragedy of the Black Spot, which is revealed in the It novel as one of the earlier manifestations of the clown’s evil deeds. Here are the first images from the show, as shared by Entertainment weekly:

As in the novel, It: Welcome to Derry will see one of the young ‘Losers Club’ of children, Mike Hanlon, hear the story of the Black Spot, told by his dying father – a disaster that involves a club representing the black community of Derry was burned down with customers trapped inside. As Mike realizes, the same Pennywise the Clown who terrorizes his friendship group and community may also have been responsible for inspiring the racist mob behind the deadly fire.

The series reunites director Andy Muschietti and his sister producer Barbara – responsible for 2017’s It and 2019’s It: Chapter Two – with creepy clown star Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise for the nine-episode prequel series. The Muschietti’s serve as showrunners, with Andy Muschietti directing four of the nine episodes.

Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe and Rudy Mancuso will also join the cast. As with the recent films, the Muschiettis shift the It timeline forward a few decades – so that the novel’s Black Spot tragedy will take place in the early 1960s, rather than the 1930s, as in the novels. Perfect for nostalgic costumes and soundtrack choices.

It: Welcome to Derry will be released in 2025 on HBO and the Max streaming platform. No word yet on its UK home base, although history shows Sky gets first dibs on any HBO output. We will keep you informed where it ends up.

Image credits: Brooke Palmer / MAX