As a huge Stephen King fan, it’s amazing to see how much buzz there is around IT right now! It’s perfect timing – Halloween 2025, and all the different adaptations of his 1986 novel are suddenly trending on streaming. The new prequel series, IT: Welcome to Derry, just broke records on HBO Max, becoming one of their biggest premieres ever, and it’s really brought everything back into the spotlight. It’s so cool to see the whole franchise getting this much love again!
As a huge Stephen King fan, I wasn’t surprised to see his work popular around Halloween, but I was blown away to find that every movie and show in the new IT series was at the top of the charts on HBO Max! On October 31st, 2025, IT: Welcome to Derry, IT Chapter Two, and the first IT were all in the global top 10, and even more impressively, they were all in the top three within their categories. It’s amazing to see the whole story doing so well!
Currently, the TV series IT: Welcome to Derry is the most popular show on HBO Max worldwide. The IT movies, including IT Chapter 2, are also performing well, holding the second and third spots respectively (after Zach Cregger’s Weapons). In addition, the original 1990 IT miniseries starring Tim Curry has become popular again on HBO Max, where viewers can stream it now, even though it’s not connected to the 2017 reboot.
With four adaptations released so far, IT solidifies its place as one of the most successful film franchises based on Stephen King’s novels. Other King stories frequently adapted for the screen include The Stand, which has had two miniseries and a new movie in development; Children of the Corn, with almost a dozen films; ‘Salem’s Lot, adapted into two films and two TV shows; and Carrie, which has inspired four movies and series, with a new TV adaptation currently being made.
Critics generally liked the recent It movies, and they were both financially successful – the first film earned $704 million globally, and the second brought in $473 million. Plus, the new series Welcome to Derry is already a huge streaming success after only two episodes.
| Movie/Show | Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
| IT: Welcome to Derry (2025-present) | 78% | 80% |
| IT Chapter 2 (2019) | 62% | 78% |
| IT (2017) | 85% | 84% |
The 1990 miniseries of IT was a big hit for ABC when it first aired and has become even more beloved over time. However, it’s quite different from the more recent IT films starring Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. Specifically, Welcome to Derry is a prequel that connects to Andy Muschietti’s IT (2017) and IT Chapter 2 (2019).
With plans for a three-season arc of IT: Welcome to Derry already being developed, the continued success of the IT franchise on streaming services makes it more likely that HBO will approve the show’s expansion into Derry’s past and the origins of Pennywise. Even though Stephen King’s novel is almost forty years old, Warner Bros.’ ongoing success with the story suggests we can anticipate further IT installments and Pennywise appearances in the future.
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2025-10-31 19:18