HBO's 'It: Welcome to Derry' Prequel Gains 82% Rotten Tomatoes Amid Strike-Driven Story Changes

The HBO series "It: Welcome to Derry" serves as a prequel to the 2017 and 2019 "It" films, exploring the dark underbelly of Derry, Maine in 1962 with a fresh and unsettling approach that has garnered positive reviews, including praise from Stephen King himself. The show features an ensemble cast including Bill Skarsgård reprising Pennywise, though the iconic clown's full form appears only midway through the season, shifting focus to other characters such as Major Leroy Hanlon and civil rights activist Charlotte Hanlon. The production faced significant challenges due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which delayed filming and forced creative changes, including adjusting the show's seasonal setting and finale due to actor availability and growing children. Composer Benjamin Wallfisch, who scored the original films, returned to create the atmospheric soundtrack now available for streaming. The series blends supernatural horror with social issues like racial profiling and government exploitation, deepening the Stephen King universe by portraying Derry itself as a source of pervasive evil. Overall, "It: Welcome to Derry" stands out for its narrative boldness, strong performances, and its ability to evoke a slow-building dread rather than relying on jump scares alone.