It: Welcome to Derry Outshines the Last Movie with Stronger Reviews and a Higher Rotten Tomatoes Score
It: Welcome to Derry is already scaring up a strong Rotten Tomatoes critics score ahead of its exclusive October 26 premiere on HBO and HBO Max, just in time for spooky season.
Pennywise is clocking back in. Early word is solid, and the timing could not be more Halloween-friendly.
So, what is It: Welcome to Derry?
It: Welcome to Derry is a prequel series to Andy Muschietti's It (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019), all rooted in Stephen King's 1986 novel. The show is set in 1962, long before the Losers' Club runs into the clown, and it digs into what was happening in Derry leading up to the films.
Bill Skarsgard is back in the makeup as Pennywise and is also on board as one of the executive producers. The series was developed for television by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs.
"It: Welcome to Derry expands the vision established by Muschietti in the box office hit features."
Early scorecard
As of now, the show is sitting at 80% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. For context: the 2017 movie landed at 85%, while Chapter Two finished at 62% — still technically a positive score, but the response was more mixed.
Who is in it
- Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise (also an executive producer)
- Jovan Adepo as Leroy
- Taylour Paige as Charlotte
- Chris Chalk as Dick
- James Remar as General Shaw
- Stephen Rider as Hank
- Rudy Mancuso as Captain Pauly Russo
When and where to watch
The eight-episode season premieres Sunday, October 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on HBO and HBO Max. New episodes drop Sundays, running through the season finale on December 14. Yes, that is precisely timed for spooky season.