When is It: Welcome to Derry set and how is it connected to the films?
Pennywise's reign of terror spans a fair few decades.
Following recent adaptations of The Institute and The Long Walk, HBO’s highly anticipated series It: Welcome to Derry marks the latest Stephen King story to make its way to the screen.
With the original novel spanning over 1,000 pages, there’s plenty of fascinating material that didn’t make it into the 2017 and 2019 It films.
Interwoven with the Losers Club’s story in King’s 1986 classic are five distinct "Derry" interludes, which offer vital insights into Pennywise’s influence and the evils that unfold in the cursed town.
But with It: Chapter One and Two star Bill Skarsgård the only major cast member returning as the terrifying inter-dimensional entity, where exactly does this next instalment fit into the larger timeline of Pennywise’s reign of terror?
When is It: Welcome to Derry set?
It: Welcome to Derry is set in 1962, 27 years before It: Chapter 1.
Andy Muschietti’s films shifted the timeline of Stephen King’s original novel, with the director first shifting the events of It Chapter One to the summer of 1988, as opposed to 1958 in the novel. As a result, the adult reunion then took place in 2016, 27 years on from the Loser Club’s experience with Pennywise.
It: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to Muschietti's films, with the series set in the early swinging sixties. Events unfold once again (you guessed it!) 27 years earlier than the dark deeds of It Chapter One, in 1962.
The terrifying prologue – which perfectly establishes the film’s atmospheric and visceral body horror – is set four months before the main events of the show, which take place in April 1962. The show directly draws from material of the Derry interludes, particularly the story of the Black Spot nightclub – an establishment which predominantly Black soldiers from the nearby Army base frequented – occurred during this year.
While Muschietti, alongside producer Barbara Muschietti and writer Jason Fuchs, has taken some creative liberties with the original timeline, they’ve remained faithful to 1962 as a key moment in Derry’s dark history.
This event was briefly referenced in the 2017 movie, as Mike Hanlon’s grandfather recounts it to a young Mike, with the horror-drama set to further explore this chilling chapter of Derry’s dark history.
What is the timeline of It: Welcome to Derry?
In its most basic terms, the timeline is as follows:
- It: Welcome to Derry – 1962
- It: Chapter 1 – 1989
- It: Chapter 2 – 2016
As in the King novels, It: Welcome to Derry will explore an earlier surfacing of the evil shape-shifting entity, a cyclical event which occurs approximately every 27 years as Pennywise feeds on the fears and hatred of Derry’s residents, particularly children.
This cycle – and the subsequent patterns of activity – was discovered by the Loser Club historian as he researched Pennywise’s reign of terror in Derry, unearthing the inexplicable violence, unspeakable deeds and mass death linked with Pennywise’s awakenings.
Mike’s interviews conducted with the town’s older generations often proved integral, as he discovered key information about historical events in Derry.
Inspired by the haunting second interlude in the novel, Muschietti and co will be exploring the events leading up to the tragedy of the club in 1962, as recalled by Mike Hanlon’s father, Will Hanlon.
This event is key in exploring Pennywise’s influence and amplification of human cruelty in Derry, while helping to connect the prequel to the latter films, along with introducing fan favourite Stephen King character Dick Hallorann to the franchise. Clever!
How is It: Welcome to Derry connected to the films?
Alongside introducing a new generation of Derry residents, including a younger Will Hanlon, It: Welcome to Derry will connect directly to both the IT films and Stephen King’s wider mythos
The series follows a young airman, Leroy Hanlon (played by Jovan Adepo) who is the father of Will Halon, and who later becomes the grandfather of Mike.
Leroy is stationed at a nearby air base in Derry, Maine, and works alongside fellow service man and familiar face from King’s universe – Dick Hallorann, played by Chris Chalk.
Before he became the Overlook Hotel cook in The Shining, the iconic Stephen King character was a fellow serviceman with his own supernatural gifts. The pair are instrumental in founding the Black Spot nightclub and uncovering, along with serving as key members in a plot which explores Pennywise’s fascinating origin.
Longtime King fans can also expect the return of the turtle motifs that appeared in Muschietti’s films – which are a nod to Maturin, the cosmic being representing balance against Pennywise in King’s larger Dark Tower mythology.
It: Welcome to Derry is coming to Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday 27th October 2025 – sign up for Sky TV.
Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Add It: Welcome to Derry to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Authors
Nicola Austin is a freelance journalist who loves sci-fi, fantasy and animation. Nicola has written about TV and film for a wide range of publications including Empire, Digital Spy, Radio Times, SciFiNow, Girls on Tops and more. She will always stand by The Mummy as a 90s movie masterpiece.
