· LUCY LOVES ME · Film
IT: Welcome to Derry’s Trailer Reveals Fan Concerns About Stephen King’s Prequel Series
The trailer for HBO Max’s IT: Welcome to Derry has finally arrived, showcasing Bill Skarsgård’s return as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in what promises to be a terrifying journey back to the cursed Maine town.
But while the footage offers plenty of creepy atmosphere and classic horror elements, some fans are expressing concerns about the prequel’s direction.
Is IT: Welcome to Derry a prequel? Setting the scene in 1962 Derry
The series is indeed a prequel to Andy Muschietti’s IT films, turning the clock back to 1962 – a full 27 years before the events depicted in IT: Chapter One.
According to the trailer, we’ll be following a new family who has just moved to the infamous small town of Derry, Maine, where a group of kids begins investigating mysterious disappearances.
The period is particularly significant for fans of King’s lore, as 1962 marks the year IT awakens following the burning of The Black Spot—an African-American nightclub built by Black soldiers, which was targeted and destroyed in a racist attack by white supremacists.
This historical backdrop could potentially add layers of social commentary to the horror narrative.
However, the trailer itself focuses more on establishing the early 60s vibe and introducing the new cast of characters who will presumably face off against Pennywise.
Who is playing Pennywise in Welcome to Derry?
Yes, Bill Skarsgård is reprising his role as the terrifying cosmic harlequin of horror.
The trailer confirms his return, with glimpses of the iconic villain lurking in the sewers of Maine.
The brief appearance at the end of the trailer provides just enough of a tease to remind viewers why Pennywise became such an enduring horror figure in popular culture.
Skarsgård’s portrayal in both IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two earned widespread acclaim for bringing a uniquely disturbing energy to the character, differentiating his performance from Tim Curry’s beloved take on the role in the 1990 miniseries.
His return provides valuable continuity between the films and this new prequel series.
When is Welcome to Derry coming out? Release date speculation
While the trailer has been released, HBO Max hasn’t provided a specific premiere date yet.
The series will debut on the “newly renamed/reverted HBO Max” (and on Sky in the UK) “later this year,” likely in Autumn 2025.
According to TV Line, the first season will consist of nine episodes. More interestingly, there are reportedly plans in place for additional seasons that would dive even deeper into Pennywise’s bloody history throughout different time periods, potentially creating a comprehensive chronicle of IT’s reign of terror in Derry.
Fan reactions: Why some are concerned about Welcome to Derry’s trailer
After the trailer’s release, fans took to Reddit to share their thoughts, and many expressed disappointment and concern.
Based on the footage shown, many feel the prequel looks too similar to the two previous IT films, potentially lacking originality and failing to fully utilise the rich historical events mentioned in King’s novel.
One Redditor lamented: “I’ve gotta be honest– this a huge letdown for me. “It” is one of my favorite monsters, and I was really looking forward to seeing some earlier incarnations of It, but this is just… the same thing as the original IT story, more or less? Kids uncovering the mystery vs. Pennywise and the town? …Why?
I was really hoping they were going back to one of the older tragedies… settlers disappearing, Beaver settlement going poof, Padrinos massacre, Ironworks explosion, etc.
Eh. I’m much less excited about this than I was after seeing the teaser. D:”
Another commented: “This just looks like…IT but with different kids and some ‘Smile’ adults. I was kinda excited but now I’m not. Am I missing something??”
The sentiment was echoed by others: “So far looks like retelling same story as original IT, but in 60s? Why again use story about group of kids, that try to solve same mystery? I think story with disappeared settlers would be much better for prequel series.”
Another Reddit user commented: “I don’t see the point of this being in the Muschietti universe. There are already two 3-hour long movies. If they wanted to do more Pennywise, they should’ve picked a completely unique story for it — not just expanding a story that’s already stretched to its limits by the films.”
Does Stephen King have anything to do with IT: Welcome to Derry?
While Stephen King isn’t directly writing the series, he has been involved in the development process.
In 2022, King appeared on Bloody Disgusting’s The Losers’ Club Podcast and mentioned the prequel was in the works, saying: “It’s an interesting possibility to do that. They talked about a prequel. Which struck me as an okay idea. I’d love to see what Pennywise was up to 27 years before the ’50s. Or, I guess it would be the ’80s, because they updated the [setting]. So it would be, you know, before World War 2 or something. It’ll be interesting to see what will happen with that.”
Later, executive producer Andy Muschietti (who directed both IT films) shared that King had approved the first draft of the prequel, which is certainly encouraging news for fans worried about the series’ quality.
Why did Pennywise never leave Derry?
One of the most intriguing elements of King’s IT mythology that the series could potentially explore is why Pennywise remains fixated on Derry.
In King’s novel, IT is revealed to be an ancient cosmic entity that arrived on Earth millions of years ago, crash-landing in what would eventually become Derry.
The creature formed a bizarre symbiotic relationship with the town itself, feeding on the fear and flesh of its inhabitants in 27-year cycles.
The prequel series has a golden opportunity to explore this mystical connection between the monster and the municipality, potentially answering questions about whether Pennywise created Derry’s atmosphere of evil or whether the town’s dark energy attracted the entity in the first place.
This chicken-or-egg question about evil’s origins has always been central to King’s work.
What IT: Welcome to Derry needs to satisfy fans
Based on fan reactions, IT: Welcome to Derry will satisfy viewers if it “includes book references, shares more of Pennywise’s history, and stands out from the two previous movies.”
Without these elements, critics worry that “another story about kids who are equally scared of and also determined to stop a clown in an eerie small town doesn’t feel necessary.”
As a prequel, Welcome to Derry has a responsibility to “dive deep into who Pennywise is and how they came to be,” or risk disappointing audiences.
The good news is that with the “three-season plan” where “every season will take place in the past, there’s still a lot of time for Welcome to Derry to cover all the ground King fans want.”
The new cast bringing 1962 Derry to life
The series features an impressive ensemble including Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe and Rudy Mancuso.
While the trailer doesn’t specify their character names, it appears we’ll be following a similar structure to the films—children facing unimaginable horror while the adults of Derry remain willfully ignorant of the town’s sinister undercurrents.
The 1960s setting opens up rich opportunities for the show to explore themes of historical American tensions alongside supernatural terror—a combination that has always been at the heart of King’s best work.
The civil rights movement, Cold War paranoia, and rapidly changing social norms could all serve as potent backdrops for Pennywise’s particular brand of fear-feeding.
Why all the creepy smiles? Horror’s latest unsettling trend
I couldn’t help but notice the Reddit comment about “Smile’ adults” in the Welcome to Derry trailer, which points to one of modern horror’s most persistent visual motifs.
The unsettling, fixed grin has become nearly ubiquitous in recent horror – from Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare (2018) with its possessed facial contortions, the genuinely disturbing Smile franchise, to the nightmarish grins in From.
These frozen grins tap into our instinctive ability to detect inauthentic emotions, creating immediate discomfort.
They’re particularly effective because they twist something comforting (a smile) into something threatening, much like how Pennywise himself represents the corruption of something meant to bring joy (a clown) into an agent of terror.
I’m still optimistic about IT: Welcome to Derry
Despite the mixed fan reactions, I’m genuinely excited about Welcome to Derry.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about trailers, it’s that they rarely showcase a project’s most unique elements.
While marketing often plays it safe with familiar imagery, I’m betting the nine-episode format will give the creators room to expand on aspects only hinted at in the films and explore corners of King’s mythology that two feature films simply didn’t have time to address.
The historical setting of 1962 is ripe with storytelling potential, and with Skarsgård and Muschietti involved as well as King’s blessing, I’m confident the series will deliver something that honours the source material while carving out its own identity.
Perhaps the concerns are premature. After all, we’re only seeing a tiny fraction of what’s to come.
Will IT: Welcome to Derry float or sink?
While some fans have expressed concern about the familiar-looking formula shown in the trailer, it’s worth remembering that previews often focus on the most marketable elements.
Whether Welcome to Derry will emerge as a worthy expansion of the IT universe or just a rehash of familiar territory remains to be seen when the series debuts later this year.
One thing’s certain: we’ll all float down here again soon enough.
