"IT: Welcome to Derry" is a delightfully chilling series worthy of the IT franchise

Reel Perspectives

October 27, 2025

The pregnancy sequence and shocking cliffhanger of the first episode of HBO Max's new series IT: Welcome to Derry were among the most deliciously scary and grotesque scenes in recent memory - and we're here for it. The latest horror series, based on Stephen King's 1986 novel It, serves as a prequel to the films It and It Chapter Two and premiered on October 26, starring Bill Skarsgard reprising his role as Pennywise, the infamous killer clown.

The upcoming episodes of the eight-episode season will center around Leroy Hanlon and his family, newly arriving in Derry, just as the killer clown re-emerges. Weekly episodes drop every Sunday leading up to the season finale on Sunday, December 14.

Developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs, the new series is set in the fictional small town of Derry, Maine, where nothing good ever happens, immediately setting the eerie tone for the supernatural dread that awaits its residents. The first episode opened with spectacular bloodshed and carnage, and follows a little boy, Matt Clements, who, in 1962, prepared to leave home and hitchhiked his way out of town with a lovely family however, it was quickly revealed that they were possessed by evil, causing the mother to give birth to a demon baby (giving new meaning to the word painful pregnancy). The demon child then attacked the family, presumably killing everyone involved, including Matty.

Four months later, Matty's classmates are the new version of IT's Losers Club led by Lily, who sets out to find him after eerily hearing his voice through the sewer pipes, in addition to strange, demonic encounters that lead them to Ronnie Grogan, the little girl who formed a connection with Matty in a theater at the beginning of the episode. They all return to the theater, where Matty is mysteriously found inside The Music Man, the movie he was initially watching. Blaming them for his misfortune, he releases the demon baby in spectacularly bloody fashion worthy of the IT franchise, killing almost everyone except Lily and Ronnie.

In other interesting developments, Air Force commander Leroy Hanlon and his wife have arrived in Derry and immediately encounter racism. Hanlon is commissioned to fly a B-52 jet streamer but is later attacked by men who demand the jet's specifications. That subplot will come into play eventually, and we'll soon learn how the Hanlons tie into the supernatural elements, but absolutely nothing beats the absolute thrill of the first episode in all its pure unadulterated evilness.

The series stars stars Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Blake Cameron James, Arian S. Cartaya, Amanda Christine, Matilda Lawler, Clara Stack, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso.

Muschietti previously revealed that he has a three-season plan, told across different eras, as he explores how Pennywise can reignite a reign of terror for a new generation, aiming to shock, thrill, and scare audiences, as he takes fresh liberties to expand the series.

Fans eager to see episode 2 are in for a special Halloween treat as the

the episode will debut early on HBO Max in celebration of Halloween, beginning Friday, October 31 at 12:00 am PT/3:00 am ET.

The series vividly brings King's novel to life, setting the stage for terrifying horror sequences that will scare the socks off every viewer. The series builds momentum and, through surprising character development, expands on the Pennywise lore in new and delightfully chilling ways.

Episode 1 of "IT: Welcome to Derry" is currently streaming on HBO Max.

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