The first trailer for It: Welcome to Derry is here and ready to bring us back into the terrifying world of Stephen King!
For over 50 years, Stephen King has delighted in giving millions of readers nightmares. Arguably, his masterpiece of terror is It, the 1986 novel of a group of children hunted by a twisted demonic presence who takes the form of a clown named Pennywise. They later have to battle the clown and their own fears as adults.
The book was turned into a 1990 ABC mini-series and then a two-part film in 2017-18. Both movies were huge hits, so of course, a prequel series has arrived. The series opens in the small town of Derry in 1962 as a pack of kids start investigating the mysterious vanishing of children over the years, leading to a showdown with Pennywise (once more played by Bill Skarsgård).
Produced by Brad Caleb Kane and Jason Fuchs as well as Anthony Muschetti, who directed the It movies, the show is meant to honor King’s work. The trailer is giving us some good vibes with a lot to look forward to as the series comes later this year!
The 1960s retro feel is great
While the first It movie was set in 1988, the series opens in 1962 and captures the vibe of the era perfectly. It’s not just in the fashions but also in how it’s filmed, a unique filter that gives it a retro vibe. That should work well with the storyline as these are kids before the age of social media or computers and even television is not as huge. That also means more dangers in this time period, which can be captured well. Something about exploring the past of this universe is compelling and should lead to great drama.
The tackling of the time looks realistic
The series doesn’t look to be shying away from the social issues of the 1960s. Witness the opening where a Black family gives a friendly wave to a neighbor who glares before rushing off. It’s likely such issues will play into the storyline, not to mention the different place for women in this period. Those darker social bigotries may become fodder for a certain demonic clown to play on when he makes his move.
The kids are an engaging bunch
While we don’t know their names yet, the young characters in the show look to be very engaging. They’re smart, running all types of kid archetypes and at first just looking for fun. Yet it appears they’re more intent on finding out the truth behind this town, knowing their parents and other adults can’t help and so have to do it alone. The actors seem to have a great chemistry and some fun dynamics, which could get viewers more engaged watching them handle this dark adventure.
We’ve got a dark mystery growing
Fans of the novel know that every 27 years, Pennywise makes an appearance, and something terrible happens. The book has interludes on events from a deadly fire to a massacre of bank robbers to an explosion at an ironworks factory. The series will no doubt explore these more and likely build to one of these disasters.
Notably, most of the adults from Madeline Stowe to James Remar’s police chief hint that they know full well that something is wrong with this town but are keeping it quiet. That mystery and the showcase for how Derry is home to some evil entity will be the backbone of the series to keep readers engaged and deepen the novel’s mythology.
Pennywise is absent yet also there
We don’t see Skarsgård in the iconic clown disguise yet, but somehow, Pennywise’s presence is felt. It’s obvious in the creepy smiles seen on anyone from a cop to a librarian. There’s the whispers of something in the pipes and the build to his arrival. The show will likely keep Pennywise hidden to make his return far more impactful. The trailer alone is a reminder of how terrifying this being is and should be just as compelling on the small screen as the big one.
It looks scary as hell
From the opening of the hitchhiking kid asking to be taken “anywhere but Derry,” the trailer is pure Stephen King. The terror builds slowly but surely before we get moments from a room seeming to explode to folks covered in blood, a lot of screaming and running around and it’s what we don’t see that’s scarier. If this is just the trailer, the mind marvels at how scary the actual series will be and this is before we even get a glimpse of Pennywise. Then again, we’d expect nothing else from Stephen King.
The cast looks great, the trailer captures the story perfectly and it all adds up to how It: Welcome to Derry is going to be a contender for the scariest show on TV when it premieres later this year!
It: Welcome to Derry premieres fall 2025 on HBO and HBO Max.