Breaking News: Release Date Revealed for This Year’s Most Anticipated Halloween Series!

Get ready! The series It: Welcome to Derry is officially set to premiere on October 27 in France, and HBO is whetting our appetite with some fresh (and terrifying) footage to tide us over.

Back to the Roots

As a reminder, the series is a prequel to the films It (2017) and It: Chapter 2 (2019), both helmed by Andy Muschietti. The director-screenwriter remains at the helm for this new story, which is still set in Derry, but this time in 1962.

Why this year? Because it marks the era of the first murders committed by the clown Pennywise, which will become the dark legend of this famous small town in Maine.

These events were only briefly mentioned in Stephen King’s book, somewhat like an urban legend shared among the local kids. The series’ aim is to expand on this part of the myth, making it a standalone story and continuing to send shivers down the spines of coulrophobes worldwide.

A Small Screen Blockbuster

Andy Muschietti’s return as the creative lead had already been confirmed, and fans were thrilled to learn that actor Bill Skarsgard would also reprise his role as Pennywise. This suggests that HBO is placing high stakes on the series, hoping for a success equivalent to that of the films which, as a reminder, grossed over a billion dollars combined (1.17 billion to be exact)!

Looking at the trailer, we can also recognize some shots and concepts reminiscent of another recent phenomenon: Stranger Things. A group of young teenagers facing a supernatural threat in a small American town… The parallels are hard to ignore!

Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but the Netflix series is coincidentally about to end. It’s a safe bet that HBO is looking to capture part of this audience that’s fond of horror adventures. Will HBO win the gamble? We’ll find out in a few months.

It: Welcome to Derry will be available on HBO Max on October 27.