Stephen King’s Pennywise Will Never Be Same After HBO’s It: Welcome To Derry

Published Oct 25, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT

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The "evil clown" archetype has existed in fiction for a long time. Owing to this, Stephen King's Pennywise in It alone cannot be given credit for making the archetype incredibly scary. However, after DC's Joker, Pennywise is easily one of the most terrifying and popular evil clown figures in pop culture. The character has become deeply ingrained in pop-culture and is even more haunting in HBO's It: Welcome to Derry.

Andy Muschietti's IT movies did an incredible job of translating Stephen King's original book to the big screen. Instead of attempting to repeat their approach, though, HBO's It: Welcome to Derry cleverly expands the stories from the interludes in the Stephen King book. It harkens back to Pennywise's long cyclical history in Derry to reveal how ancient his influence has been on the town.

It: Welcome to Derry's ending arc also introduces a twist that reveals Pennywise's Lovecraftian nature, making him scarier and more invincible than ever. Going into season 2, the HBO horror show is expected to dive deeper into Pennywise's origins in Derry, which will ensure his small-screen representation becomes unforgettable.

It: Welcome To Derry Has Already Made Pennywise Scarier

The IT movies primarily focused on how Pennywise isolates the members of the Losers' Club in just one linear timeline. It: Welcome to Derry, on the other hand, operates on a far bigger scale where it shows how Pennywise transcends time. Unlike humans, who are limited by their linear perception of time, Pennywise sees the past, the present, and the future all at once.

This allows him to exist across all timelines and even potentially have the ability to alter his own fate.

Apart from making Pennywise invincible, the Stephen King TV series also highlights how the monster's influence infects every nook and cranny of Derry. The show makes an effective metaphor out of him to highlight the sinister nature of human greed, cruelty, and prejudice.

It: Welcome to Derry also does not shy away from killing off many crucial characters in its opening arcs itself to reveal how insignificant humans are in Pennywise's eyes.

Another generation of the Losers' Club manages to overpower Pennywise before It: Welcome to Derry season 1 ends its run. However, the show perfectly establishes that the threat and the underlying influence of the creature still looms over Derry.

Pennywise Will Be Even More Terrifying In It: Welcome To Derry Season 2

©HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection

It: Welcome to Derry season 2 will be set in 1935 during the Great Depression. It will tackle the infamous Bradley Gang Massacre, which has already been established as one of the most brutal and disturbing events in Derry's history in both the show and the original Stephen King book.

Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane has assured viewers that they will get to see "a different kind of Pennywise" in season 2 (via Fear HQ). Little has been revealed about how It: Welcome to Derry season 2 plans to further expand Stephen King's Pennywise lore. However, early revelations almost confirm that season 2 will delve deeper into the exploration of how Pennywise has been manipulating Derry since ancient times.

The show's season 1 also revealed how Pennywise took the form of a clown after killing Bob Gray. Since the Bob Gray incident seemingly happened after 1935, the Stephen King monster will also emerge in other scarier forms in It: Welcome to Derry season 2.

It: Welcome to Derry

It: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to the 2017 film It, exploring the sinister history of Derry, Maine. Set in 1962, the series follows a family that relocates to the town amidst unsettling occurrences and the mysterious disappearance of a young boy.