IT: Welcome to Derry’s Bold Strategy: Why Pennywise Stays in the Shadows for the First Five Episodes

HBO has a whole Pennywise prequel on deck, and yes, Bill Skarsgard is back under the makeup. But if you were expecting a wall-to-wall clown show in 'IT: Welcome to Derry,' temper that. The series is playing the long game with its monster, even though this is literally his origin story.

The plan: less Pennywise early, more when it counts

Series developers Andy and Barbara Muschietti are deliberately rationing the clown. Andy says the first half holds him back to amp up the tension, then the show turns the dial later. The idea is pretty simple: Pennywise is scarier when you feel him before you see him, and if he pops up every five minutes, you stop flinching. Barbara points to the movies as proof — he wasn’t on screen nonstop there either, but his shadow covered everything. The last thing they want is viewers getting comfortable around this thing.

"We did "less is more" for half the show, but then we did "more is more." The idea behind the delayed appearance is the build up of expectation. The audience doesn't know that they want it, but I think it creates a very special feeling. When and where the clown is going to appear was a game that I wanted to play with the audience."

That tracks with another choice they called out: keeping Pennywise largely out of sight for the first half of the season so he feels unpredictable — he shows up when he wants to strike, not when you expect a jump scare on the beat sheet. Bring him in only at the right moments, or he stops feeling like a threat and starts feeling like a mascot.

So what is the show actually doing?

'Welcome to Derry' expands Stephen King’s mythology, digs into the town’s curse, and yes, traces Pennywise’s origins — but it’s not just a highlight reel of the clown’s greatest hits. Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane says the longer format lets them spend real time with the people in Derry: how they think, what they fear, and how those fears get weaponized. That stuff is hard to squeeze into a two-hour movie; a season gives it room to breathe.

And if you’re wondering about the future, the creative team has a larger map in mind. If and when Season 2 gets ordered, Andy Muschietti says the plan is to reveal answers gradually — think iceberg: you see the tip, the rest comes into view bit by bit.

Key details

• Title: IT: Welcome to Derry
• Premiere: October 26, 2025 on HBO
• Showrunners: Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane
• Developed by: Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti
• Based on: Stephen King’s 'IT'
• Expectations check: Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise is used sparingly early on, with a heavier presence later

Bottom line: this is a slow burn by design. If you can handle the wait, the back half sounds like your reward. If you can’t, well, that tension is kind of the point.