‘It: Welcome to Derry’s Pennywise Replacement and How It Sets Up Bill Skarsgård’s Return Explained

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The first episode of HBO’s “Welcome to Derry” doesn’t include the famous villain, Pennywise, leading fans to wonder if Bill Skarsgård will return to the role. This new series, based on Stephen King’s novel, takes place decades before the 2017 and 2019 films. “It” refers to the terrifying, supernatural entity that has plagued the town of Derry for years. The show is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of the first movie.

Early reviews for the show Welcome to Derry are generally positive, earning a 78% rating. This places it among the better Stephen King adaptations for both film and television, which have often been inconsistent in quality. The first episode focuses on the disappearance of Matty (played by Matthew Clements), but the show makes a change from the original book. While Matty disappears in 1958 in King’s novel, the series sets the events in 1962, utilizing the 27-year cycle established in the story.

‘It: Welcome to Derry’s Monster is a “Manifestation” of It


HBO Max

The first episode of It: Welcome to Derry features several scary scenes, including the strange disappearance of Matty and his encounter with a peculiar family and a bat-like creature. According to Jason Fuchs, a co-creator of the show, the creature is a shapeshifter. He explained to EW that while Pennywise is known for changing forms in the movies, there wasn’t enough time to show all of those different appearances. For now, Welcome to Derry is focusing on this specific creature form.

Stephen King’s story reveals that Pennywise started appearing as a clown after witnessing a performer in the 1700s, suggesting there’s a specific story reason behind this form. While that narrative explanation isn’t fully known, the filmmakers deliberately used a slow reveal of Pennywise, similar to the movie Jaws. Instead of showing the monster right away, they built suspense and anticipation. This approach also allowed them to use other frightening creatures to keep audiences on edge.

Bill Skarsgård Will Appear in “It: Welcome to Derry”


Warner Bros. Pictures

Fans who have followed the series will already know that Bill Skarsgård isn’t just starring in the TV prequel, he’s also a producer. While his role as Pennywise was hinted at in trailers, he won’t appear right away. With the show, Welcome to Derry, airing over the next few weeks, Pennywise fans will need to be patient – his appearance is coming, but it will take time.

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2025-10-27 05:02