This is the third week since the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s 1986 bestseller, It, debuted on small screens, and fans are totally obsessed. IT: Welcome to Derry premiered on HBO on October 26, 2025, to glowing reviews from both fans and critics alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a Certified Fresh rating of 78% based on 114 critic reviews, while its Popcornmeter rating is even more impressive at 80%. The horror series’ success has taken no time extending to the streaming charts, becoming an instant sensation and now dominating the best horror movie of the year.
Within the first few days of its release, Welcome to Derry attracted an impressive number of viewers, propelling it to the top of the streaming charts and making it a historic hit for HBO. Three weeks later, the TV adaptation has overtaken Zach Cregger’s Weapons on HBO Max’s overall list in the U.S., which also features a mix of other similarly successful movies and TV shows. Weapons, released on August 8, 2025, is considered the most intriguing horror movie of 2025, even months after debuting. The movie was a critical and commercial success, and plans for a prequel are already in motion, which is said to focus on Aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan).
Speaking of Welcome to Derry, it serves as a prequel to the 2017 and 2019 hits IT and IT: Chapter Two, both of which see Bill Skarsgård portray the villainous clown Pennywise. The series was developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs, all of whom were involved in the previous films and executive produce Welcome to Derry alongside Skarsgård, Brad Caleb Kane, David Coatsworth, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, and Shelley Meals. Furthermore, among the stars of the new series are Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, and Clara Stack.
‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Makes HBO History With Its Premiere
In the first week of Welcome to Derry’s premiere, it was confirmed that the show’s first episode amassed 5.7 million U.S. viewers within the first three days of viewing across HBO and HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that the achievement put the show among the top three series debuts globally in HBO Max history, behind only House of the Dragon and The Last of Us. Such a milestone was even more impressive than HBO’s Task, starring Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey, which previously aired in the same Sunday night slot as the supernatural series but premiered to 3.1 million viewers in September.
Welcome to Derry returns with its fourth episode next Sunday. Stick with Collider for more information.
- Release Date
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October 26, 2025
- Network
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HBO
- Franchise(s)
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IT
