"It" and "It Chapter Two" director Andy Muschietti helmed the opening episode of "It: Welcome to Derry" and he included a nod to his failed DC superhero film.

Episode 1 was chilling and sets the thrilling tone for the upcoming episodes. While expectations were sky-high for the return to Derry’s haunting streets, early viewers have expressed disappointment over what they’re calling “bad CGI” and underwhelming visuals.

HBO’s Welcome to Derry wastes no time reminding us that small-town America can be scarier than any clown. Set in 1962, the prequel to Stephen King’s It dive

It: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to the two most recent films in the franchise, but when the show creators pitched it to HBO, it was a trilogy.

It: Welcome to Derry, the prequel series to Stephen King's It novel, finally made its much-awaited premiere on HBO.

Andy Muschietti follows his two-part big-screen adaptation of the Stephen King novel with an eight-episode show set in 1962.

Welcome to Derry" Episode 1. If the "It: Welcome to Derry" premiere felt bloodier or more intense than the two movies, well that was by design. The new HBO series takes place in 1962 -- which is the monster's 27-year cycle before the Losers Club face off against him in the 2017 film -- and starts with a bloody bang.

Welcome to Derry dropped on HBO on October 26, 2025. Viewers quickly spotted a trail of DC references that link the horror show to the wider

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