It’s official: Pennywise will return in “Welcome To Derry.” Deadline reports that Bill Skarsgård, who played the evil entity that terrorizes the fictional Maine town, mostly in the form of a clown, will reprise his role from 2017’s “It” and its 2019 sequel “It Chapter Two” for Max‘s upcoming prequel series. Skarsgård will also serve as executive producer on the series, which Deadline confirms will be nine episodes.
READ MORE: ‘Welcome To Derry’: HBO Max Greenlights Prequel Series To Andy Muschietti’s ‘IT’ Films
Skarsgård’s return should come as little surprise, although he signs on over two years after the show was first announced. His casting sees him reunite with the main creative players of the “It” franchise: Andy Muschietti, who directed the 2017 and 2019 films; his wife Barbara, who co-produced both; and Jason Fuchs, who co-produced “Chapter Two.” Muschietti and Fuchs developed “Welcome To Derry” with two other “It” producers, Roy Lee and Dan Lin. Muschietti will also be behind the camera for the prequel series, or at least part of it; he’ll direct four of its nine episodes.
Official plot details remain secret, but “Welcome To Derry” will expand Stephen King‘s original “It” universe, focusing on a previous generation of Derry residents. The Muschiettis and Fuchs write a story based on King’s original 1986 novel, with all three executive producing through their Double Dream banner. Other executive producers include Brad Caleb Kane, David Coatsworth, Shelley Meals, Lee, Lin, and Skarsgård. Fuchs serves as showrunner on “Welcome To Derry” with Kane.
“Welcome To Derry” won’t be the first Stephen King series Skarsgård stars in. He also featured in the short-lived but beloved Hulu series “Castle Rock,” which took creative liberties with various King stories and lore. The Pennywise actor joins a previously announced “Welcome To Derry” cast list of Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. Skarsgård has also had a busy last couple of years acting-wise. “Boy Kills World” was just in theaters, and later this year he stars in “The Crow,” in theaters next month, and Robert Eggers‘ much-anticipated remake of “Nosferatu.” The actor also has two other upcoming films: “Locked” and “Emperor,” both in post-production now.
So when should “Welcome To Derry” hit Max? The series likely won’t hit the streamer until mid-late 2025 at the earliest, and when it does, don’t be surprised if it has a new name; it current title is also its working title. But expect Warner Bros. and Max to make sure “Welcome To Derry” or whatever it’s eventually called is done right. Muschietti’s two movies made $1.17 billion worldwide, a great number for two R-rated horror films. That means there’s a market for a show like this, making Skarsgård’s return even more exciting.
Stay tuned for an official release date for “Welcome To Derry.”