IT: Welcome to Derry — HBO Returns to Stephen King’s Nightmare with a Chilling NYCC Activation and Exclusive First Look
HBO kicked off New York Comic Con 2025 by daring fans to “Face Your Fears” inside an immersive horror experience inspired by IT: Welcome to Derry — the terrifying prequel to Andy Muschietti’s IT films.
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Created by Andy and Barbara Muschietti along with Jason Fuchs, the upcoming HBO Original series expands Stephen King’s haunted universe, exploring the origins of Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the cursed town that started it all.
RELATED: IT: Welcome to Derry – New Trailer Unveils Pennywise’s Terrifying Origins
🎈 Inside “Face Your Fears” — HBO’s AI-Driven Horror Activation
Set within a nostalgically familiar yet deeply unsettling 1960s child’s bedroom, the Face Your Fears activation transformed part of New York Comic Con into Derry itself. The AI-driven experience delivered personalized scares using interactive elements that responded to each participant’s reactions.
Fans who braved the full walkthrough were met with a terrifying finale — the looming presence of Pennywise himself.
The activation opened Thursday and ran throughout NYCC, but on Saturday, October 11, cast and creatives from the series faced the horror firsthand. Among those in attendance:
Andy Muschietti (Director, EP), Barbara Muschietti (EP), Jason Fuchs (Co-Showrunner, EP), Brad Caleb Kane (Co-Showrunner, EP), Jovan Adepo (Leroy Hanlon), Taylour Paige (Charlotte Hanlon), Chris Chalk (Dick Hallorann), James Remar (General Shaw), Stephen Rider (Hank), and Kimberly Guerrero (Rose).
🩸 The NYCC Panel — Exclusive Footage and a Red Band Trailer
The IT: Welcome to Derry panel filled the Empire Stage, moderated by Perri Nemiroff of Collider. The cast and creative team treated fans to never-before-seen footage and an uncensored Red Band trailer, offering the most chilling look yet at the upcoming series.
RELATED: IT: Welcome to Derry – New Trailer Unveils Pennywise’s Terrifying Origins
Stephen King himself has reportedly supported and praised the project for honoring the tone and themes of his original 1986 novel.
The story, told backwards by design, allows viewers to uncover Derry’s dark secrets in reverse — a creative choice that mirrors how trauma, memory, and fear resurface over time.
🧠 What Welcome to Derry Is About
Set in the 1960s, decades before the Losers’ Club’s story, IT: Welcome to Derry follows the Hanlon family, led by Jovan Adepo (Leroy Hanlon) and Taylour Paige (Charlotte Hanlon), as they move to Derry just as mysterious disappearances begin.
This isn’t just another horror prequel. The show digs into the roots of fear, racism, and generational trauma that have always haunted King’s fictional Maine town — staying true to the author’s signature themes about how evil grows from within a community.
And yes — Bill Skarsgård is officially back as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
“When Pennywise appears, he appears in a big way,” teased director Andy Muschietti in an interview with GamesRadar.
🎬 The Creative Team
Created for television by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs, the series reunites the filmmaking team behind the record-breaking IT movies.
Executive Producers:
Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs, Brad Caleb Kane, David Coatsworth, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Shelley Meals, and Bill Skarsgård
Produced by HBO and Warner Bros. Television under the Muschiettis’ Double Dream banner, IT: Welcome to Derrypromises to expand the mythos while grounding it in the haunting realism that defines King’s native storytelling.
📅 When and Where to Watch
Premiere: Sunday, October 26, 2025
Platform: HBO Max
New Episodes: Every Sunday through December 14
So grab your red balloons — Pennywise is coming home. 🎈
