6 Best Stephen King Adaptations to Watch After ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’s Ending

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If you loved the new Stephen King series, Welcome to Derry, you’ll want to check out other adaptations of his work. Welcome to Derry tells the story of how Pennywise came to be, and it’s been getting fantastic reviews. While The Long Walk and Running Man also came out this year, Welcome to Derry is quickly becoming one of the best Stephen King adaptations yet.

The first season of ‘Welcome to Derry’ was a huge success, and fans are eagerly anticipating what comes next. The show is planned to have three seasons in total, but viewers will have to wait for Season 2 to discover the rest of the story. Luckily, there’s no shortage of other Stephen King adaptations – including movies, shows, and miniseries – to enjoy in the meantime.

6
‘It’ (2017) & ‘It Chapter Two’ (2019)


Warner Bros.

If you haven’t seen It and It Chapter Two yet, now’s the perfect time! It: Welcome to Derry tells the story leading up to those films, adding even more depth and detail to what you already know. Bill Skarsgård delivers a truly terrifying and brilliant performance as Pennywise the Clown, arguably one of the most memorable villains in horror movie history.

The story begins with a group of childhood friends, known as the Losers’ Club, as they deal with being outcasts and their initial terrifying encounter with Pennywise. It Chapter Two then jumps forward in time, showing the Losers as adults who reunite to confront Pennywise once more. Unlike Welcome to Derry, which explores Pennywise’s backstory, It and It Chapter Two present Pennywise at his most chaotic and frightening, immediately immersing viewers in the height of his terror.

5
‘The Shining’ (1980)


Warner Bros.

Even though Stephen King wasn’t initially a fan, Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of The Shining is a must-see. The movie stars Jack Nicholson as a man who slowly descends into madness while working as the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. The Shining is a deeply unsettling and psychological thriller, and the hotel’s disturbing past pushes Jack to the brink of losing his grip on reality.

Chris Chalk plays the younger version of Dick Hallorann in It: Welcome to Derry. Interestingly, Scatman Crothers originally played the same character in Stanley Kubrick’s film, The Shining.

Beyond being a fantastic movie, there’s a compelling reason to watch The Shining after finishing Welcome to Derry. Welcome to Derry features several interesting characters, and Dick Hallorann is one to watch closely. He uses his telepathic abilities to assist the military in Welcome to Derry, and fans familiar with The Shining will recognize him as the character with “the shining” – the same powerful ability from that film.

4
‘Castle Rock’ (2018-2019)


Hulu

Stephen King often sets his stories in Maine, and Castle Rock is a location he revisits often. The TV series Castle Rock, though it only lasted two seasons, cleverly weaves together characters and elements from many of King’s most popular books, essentially creating a shared Stephen King universe. The series features familiar faces like a young Annie Wilkes (from Misery) and Alan Pangborn (from Needful Things), among others.

Many fans feel Hulu made a mistake canceling Castle Rock, and it’s easy to see why. The show had captivating stories and stunning visuals. It expertly played with mystery, consistently surprising viewers with unexpected twists. Even though it’s been a while since the show ended, it remains popular, and there’s hope Hulu might bring it back someday. Bill Skarsgård delivers another chilling performance as ‘The Kid’ – a character who is nearly as frightening as his iconic role as Pennywise.

3
‘Under the Dome’ (2013-2015)


CBS

Okay, so Under the Dome definitely takes some liberties with the source material, but honestly, it’s still pretty engaging. The show drops you right into Chester’s Mill, this small town that gets completely cut off from the world when a massive, invisible dome just… appears. It’s not a direct copy of Welcome to Derry or anything, but if you’re a Stephen King fan, you’ll appreciate the way it builds tension through paranoia, shows what happens when people crave power, and depicts how a close-knit community can fall apart under pressure – those are hallmarks of his work, really.

The actors in Under the Dome are excellent, including Dean Norris (from Breaking Bad) as the villain Big Jim and Mike Vogel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as Barbie. Although Under the Dome isn’t flawless, viewers who are willing to go along with the story will likely enjoy it as a fun watch, especially after finishing Welcome to Derry.

2
‘Pet Sematary’ (1989)


Paramount Pictures

Both the 1989 and 2019 films of Pet Sematary are enjoyable, but the original is a stronger adaptation of the book. Fans of Welcome to Derry will likely appreciate the 1989 version, particularly due to the impact of the character Gage. The unsettling feeling he evokes is similar to the fear created by the mutant baby in It, and both stories share themes of intense parental fear when a child encounters something supernatural.

Even if you see similarities between Pet Sematary and the new It prequel, Welcome to Derry, it’s worth watching the 1989 Pet Sematary film because it’s a true classic. It has everything you’d expect from a Stephen King story: spooky imagery, chilling characters, and a plot that’s a little over-the-top but still incredibly suspenseful—and that actually adds to the movie’s charm.

1
‘The Outsider’ (2020)


HBO

The story of The Outsider centers around the murder of a young boy, Frankie, whose body is discovered in the woods near Cherokee City, Georgia. The series explores how this tragedy affects the town. Starring Jason Bateman as baseball coach Terry Maitland – who becomes the prime suspect – and Cynthia Erivo as the well-known Stephen King character Holly Gibney, the show follows Terry’s desperate claim of innocence, even though the evidence suggests otherwise. He has no memory of the events he’s accused of committing.

Similar to Welcome to Derry, The Outsider begins as a murder mystery, but soon reveals a much larger and stranger story. Though it’s a short series of just 10 episodes, The Outsider is incredibly gripping and hard to pull away from. The payoff in the final episodes makes the entire series worthwhile, much like Welcome to Derry. As the story unfolds, it becomes increasingly complex, yet remains captivating.

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2025-12-15 15:41