Horror fans, there's not much longer to wait until HBO finally unveils the first teaser and likely announces the official release date for It: Welcome to Derry.
On Monday, May 19, the HBO Max social media account gave It fans an exciting surprise with the announcement of an announcement. The streamer revealed that the teaser for the upcoming HBO series It: Welcome to Derry will be released on Tuesday, May 20. It's also safe to assume that the release date or release window for the series will also be revealed on the same day.
It's been quite some time since fans received an update on the series, which we were expecting to receive during the Warner Bros. presentation during the Upfronts earlier in May. However, the presentation came and went without a mention of Welcome to Derry, though the company shared that streaming service Max will return to HBO Max just in time for the shows premiere on HBO.
Along with the preview for the teaser, the HBO Max account shared a creepy seven-second video that really sets the tone. A person smiles ominously in a shop window with a red balloon visible in the reflection, someone swimming in a lake, and one of the cast's teens peering down into a pipe. The clip ends with Pennywise's signature cackle. We can't wait to see the full teaser!
It: Welcome to Derry teaser trailer coming soon
Although It: Welcome to Derry was originally intended to be a streaming original series on Max, the It prequel was ultimately moved to HBO as an original series for the cable network. The supernatural horror series will contain nine episodes in its first season and has been confirmed to be released in 2025, thanks to its inclusion in a "coming soon" sizzle reel video released in November 2024.
The series wrapped filming in August 2024, which was nearly one year ago at this point. All being told, fans are definitely ready to return to Derry. Earlier this year, executive producer and director Andy Muschietti revealed the show's three-season plan, which would take the series to 1962 in season 1, 1935 in season 2, and 1908 in season 3. Additional seasons beyond the first haven't been ordered.
Muschietti explained that the series is based on the interludes of the book by Stephen King and each season would be based on the three catastrophic events that occur in Derry with Pennywise the Clown at the center. There's no doubt that when the series does make its premiere later on in 2025 that it will become a ratings success and those seasons will hopefully get the green light.
It: Welcome to Derry brings back Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, a role he played in the theatrical movies released in 2017 and 2019. Skarsgård also executive produces. The cast also includes Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and others. Beyond the photos already released, we'll see the cast in the teaser on May 20.