The Jaw-Dropper
HBO just dropped the first teaser for IT: Welcome to Derry—and horror fans are caught between euphoria and déjà vu. The 60-second clip is more vibe than substance: flickering streetlights, a lone paper boat, and that voice. Then—boom—Pennywise’s sunken eyes pierce through the dark, as if to say, “Miss me?”
Why This Changes Everything (Or Nothing)
Here’s the twist: This isn’t just a rehash. The prequel’s 1960s setting digs into Derry’s rotten core before the Losers Club showed up. Think Mad Men meets Twin Peaks—if Don Draper got eaten by a clown.
But the real kicker? Bill Skarsgård’s return. After John Wick 4 and Boy Kills World, his Pennywise feels even more untethered—like a demon who’s spent centuries sharpening his teeth.
Yet—savage comparison incoming—this teaser plays it too safe. Remember Stranger Things 4’s Vecna reveal? A slow-burn masterclass. Derry’s trailer? More like a haunted house ride: fun, but over too fast.
The Hidden Story
The Muschiettis aren’t just revisiting Derry; they’re rewiring its DNA. Andy’s directing episodes, and the series’ showrunners (Jason Fuchs and Brad Kane) have Stephen King’s blessing to expand the mythos. Rumor is, we’ll meet Pennywise’s first victims—the ones who made Derry a “graveyard of memories.”
Historical precedent? Fear Street’s trilogy proved horror prequels can work—if they’re meaner than the originals. Derry’s got the cast (Taylour Paige! James Remar!) and the aesthetic. But will it dare to out-grotesque IT Chapter Two’s CGI orgy?
Now Pick a Side
Genius or garbage? The teaser’s a Rorschach test. Either you’re salivating for more Skarsgård psychopathy… or you’re side-eyeing HBO’s third attempt to milk this clown.
