HBO's IT: Welcome to Derry Explores Pennywise Origins

IT: Welcome to Derry, an HBO prequel set in 1962 that premieres October 26, revisits Derry 27 years before the films and stars Bill Skarsgård returning as Pennywise. Showrunners and producers Brad Caleb Kane and siblings Andy and Barbara Muschietti say they will delay Pennywise's full appearance, using long-form storytelling to reveal other horrific forms and deepen character backstories in a 'Jaws' style. Trailers and merchandise reveal a darker "Flashback Pennywise" design—paler, cracked skin with a mechanical grin—suggesting transitional forms between human and monster. The series leans into its 1962 setting to address segregation, the civil-rights era and Cold War dread, aligning the show more closely with Stephen King's original period than the later films. The Muschiettis say gore and body-horror will serve emotional, character-driven storytelling rather than pure shock, as the cast, which includes Jovan Adepo, unravels Derry's haunted history.