The sewers of Derry are rumbling again — and this time, the horror is spreading wider than ever. It: Welcome to Derryslithers onto OSN+ on October 27, just in time to make Halloween even darker, and anticipation couldn’t be higher. The new HBO prequel series promises to unravel the twisted legend of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, digging deep into the nightmare roots of Stephen King’s most haunting creation.
Helmed once again by Andy and Barbara Muschietti — the sibling duo behind It (2017) and It: Chapter Two — the series expands King’s universe with fresh terror and deeper mythology. The idea actually sparked years ago, when Andy tried to press Stephen King himself for answers about where Pennywise came from. King’s answer was as chilling as it was vague: even he didn’t fully know. That mystery became the soul of Welcome to Derry — a story built not to explain everything, but to explore the unknowable evil lurking beneath the surface.
Set in 1962, decades before the Losers Club’s story, Welcome to Derry takes us to the infamous Black Spot — a nightclub for Black servicemen destroyed in a racist attack, one of the many dark stains in Derry’s history. As a new group of kids begins to sense something wrong in their town, the show blends supernatural horror with real-world cruelty. Jovan Adepo stars as young airman Leroy Hanlon (the ancestor of Mike Hanlon from It), with Taylour Paige as Charlotte, his wife who slowly realizes Derry’s charm hides unspeakable rot.
The Muschiettis and writer Jason Fuchs have built Welcome to Derry as an anthology-style horror epic — each season leaping forward 27 years, tracing Pennywise’s cycle of terror through time. Expect slow-burn dread, shocking moments, and new connections to King’s wider universe, including a major tie-in with The Shining. Chris Chalk plays a young Dick Hallorann, whose psychic gifts reveal even more about Derry’s cursed energy.
For eagle-eyed fans, keep an eye out for the turtles — yes, those turtles. King readers will recognize them as a symbol of Maturin, the cosmic being that opposes Pennywise. With the extra breathing room of a full series, Welcome to Derry can finally explore that larger mythology the films only hinted at.
Even Stephen King himself is impressed. Earlier this month, he called the first episode “terrifying” — high praise from the master of horror.
So get ready: It: Welcome to Derry drops on OSN+ on October 26, and it’s looking like one of the biggest horror events of the year. A new generation of Derry’s residents is about to discover that evil doesn’t die — it just waits for its next chance to feed.
And yes, our full Welcome to Derry review is coming soon — right after we brave the sewers ourselves. Stay tuned.
