Stephen King’s beloved 1986 horror novel terrified a generation of readers with its killer clown that seemed to know their deepest fears, and now It is back for more – but this time on television screens.
Audiences can expect a host of gore, blood, and scares in HBO’s upcoming series, It: Welcome to Derry, plus further exploration of King’s terrifying universe, including the origins of Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the cursed town of Derry.
Finding heart within the horror
Set 27 years before the events of the 2017 film adaptation, the new series tells the story of a family who moves to Derry, Maine, where they unravel a string of sinister child disappearances.
The project is being developed by sibling duo Andy Muschietti, who serves as the director, and Barbara Muschietti, who produces alongside Jason Fuchs, all of whom were part of the recent film franchise.
And while villain Pennywise is known for using his victims’ fears to lure them to their deaths, creating bone-chilling images that haunt your dreams in the process, the Muschiettis wanted to both terrify viewers and narrate a story from the heart – one that explores humanity, memory, and secrecy.
On a personal level, Andy owes much of his storytelling inspiration to King’s novel, which became a pivotal part of his life after he read it at a young age.
“Stephen King is so good at that – he really cares about his characters. It’s never just about the horror; it’s mainly about human journeys”, Andy told Alix Blackburn from Tom’s Guide in an interview.
“That approach, whether consciously or not, carries through into the movies and now into the show.”
Having well-developed characters and an emotional link with the audience – rather than simply graphic horror and shock value – are key aspects of such an approach.
Barbara offered similar sentiments, saying that shocking visuals should “serve a purpose”.
“Shock value on its own has no weight; it doesn’t last,” she explained. “It can actually pull the audience out of the story.”
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‘King of Horror’ gives approval
King himself was given the chance to watch the first episode, which he described in a Threads post as “amazing” and “terrifying”.
Fuchs, who wrote the show with Brad Caleb Kane, subsequently revealed to Screen Rant that the famous author was very much involved in the production and had to sift through “virtually everything”.
It thus came as a huge relief to the writers when King praised the show.
Indeed, Fuchs called it a “career highlight” before adding: “To have him give it the seal of approval was incredible.”
The series will be split into eight episodes, with the pilot set to go live on October 26 on HBO and HBO Max, just in time for the Halloween season.
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Pennywise hiding in plain sight
Much of the show’s anticipation revolves around Pennywise, who will be played once more by the enigmatic Bill Skarsgård.
However, the production team admitted that they took care with introducing the killer clown in the show.
“It’s been very important, from the first movie [in 2017], to treat him as a very unpredictable character,” Barbara told Screen Rant.
“In order to do that, you cannot have the audience get comfortable with him.”
Instead, the series will utilise a kind of horror “slow burn”, delicately weaving Pennywise into the story in a way that builds tension and keeps the audience on their toes.
That doesn’t mean Pennywise will be absent, though, as the director warned: “He’s there, but he’s not. Or he’s not there, but he is.”
Lucia Caporalini 
Rachel Walker 
Joseph Terry