It: Welcome To Derry
It: Welcome to Derry is a supernatural horror television series based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel It. The series was developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, all of whom were involved in the It films. It premiered on HBO on October 26, 2025.
Serving as a prequel to the films It (2017) and It Chapter Two(2019) the series set in Derry, Maine, a pressure cooker of tension, dread and supernatural horror, where like clockwork, really bad things happen every 27 year cycle.
The Good
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but Welcome to Derry often evokes Stranger Things. Perhaps it’s the core cast of children who behave more bravely than the adults who should know better, or the military types meddling with forces far beyond their understanding.
The child actors shine, giving the series its beating heart, a bunch of ‘losers’ find each other and form unshakeable bonds, where there are no good friends or bad friends, but people who will stand with you when it counts.
Welcome To Derry manages to not only expand on what we know about Derry and Pennywise, it pays attention to the canon and makes everything slot into place, as well set up for upcoming seasons. We also learn more about the origins of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, portrayed once again by Bill Skarsgård in spine-chilling form.
Fans of The Shining will instantly recognise Dick Hallorann, the chef from the Overlook Hotel; this time, long before those events. Chris Chalk as Hallorann delivers a strong performance, bringing the enigmatic character to life with a quiet and eerie authority.
Atmosphere is where Welcome to Derry truly excels. The series locks in an unsettling, slow-burn dread, filling the town with a creeping sense of unease and the inevitability of Pennywise’s bloodlust.
The Bad
Pennywise doesn’t immediately jump at you, and it takes a couple of episodes before he makes his appearance.
The show struggles with balancing its world-building and narrative momentum, giving it an erratic pacing, particularly when it focuses on subplots that feel largely inconsequential.
The season finale, which runs close to feature-film length, is as ambitious as it is absurd. It may leave viewers questioning whether the creators were aiming for narrative payoff or simply realised they had budget to spare with no episodes left and decided to go all out.
The Ugly
This is very much a horror series, and it does not let you forget it. A sequence early in the first episode ranks among the most unsettling things I’ve seen on television, and I would strongly advise against watching this show just before bedtime.
Set in the 1960s, a period far from racially progressive, the series does not shy away from depicting racial prejudice. Some scenes and character behaviour may be deeply upsetting.
Final Thoughts
It was interesting to note that the first episode begins with people arriving in Derry and the last episode has people leaving Derry… make of that what you will…
It: Welcome To Derry is an expansion of the IT universe you never knew you were waiting for, adding a meaningful texture to the cursed town of Derry.
Have you watched IT: Welcome To Derry? Is it something you would watch?
Becoming The Muse 
Your thoughts.. if you will?