While often forgotten among talks of his best adaptations, the 2020 Stephen King seriesThe Outsiderremains one ofHBO’s best horror shows yet. Boasting a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a stellar cast including Jason Bateman and Julianne Nicholson,The Outsideris a masterful psychological thriller-horror that brilliantly captures the themes of Stephen King’s book about a town rocked by a grisly murder with dark, supernatural twists.
Considering how well-receivedThe Outsiderwas, it’s shocking that it took so long for HBO to tackle anotherStephen King TV adaptation. After the streamer’sdivisive movie adaptation of King’sSalem’s Lotin 2024, HBO’s next take on the author’s work returns to the TV format. Pulling from one of Stephen King’s most iconic horror stories of all time, HBO’s upcoming series marks an incredibly promising follow-up toThe Outsider.
IT: Welcome To Derry Finally Gives HBO Another Promising Stephen King Horror Series
Arriving five years afterThe Outsider, HBO’s second Stephen King TV show will beIT: Welcome to Derry, a prequel to Warner Bros.’ hit 2017 and 2019ITmovies. Thestory ofIT: Welcome to Derryis taken from excerpts in King’s 1986ITnovel, discussing the dark history of King’s frequent book setting Derry, Maine through the years leading up to the Losers Club’s confrontations with Pennywise.
TheITmovies were similar success stories for Stephen King horror adaptations, so it seemed only a matter of time before the studio opted to return to Derry and bring to life earlier eras in Pennywise’s reign of terror.IT: Welcome to Derryseason 1 will take place in 1962, exactly 27 years before the Losers Club’s encounters with Pennywise inIT(2017).
Welcome to Derryalso has the added advantage of serving as a crossover with another iconic Stephen King horror story, asThe Shining’s Dick Hallorann stars inIT’s prequelseries. TheITbook had already established that overlap, as Hallorann was part of the doomed Black Spot nightclub in Derry many years before his tenure at The Overlook Hotel.
Based onIT: Welcome to Derry’s trailers, HBO’s new series is living up to the dark, horrifying, gory nature of the films. While more teen-centric thanThe Outsider, the darkness ofIT: Welcome to Derrylooks like it won’t disappoint, and could even end up surpassing the 2020 show as HBO’s best horror entry. Not to mention,IT: Welcome to Derry’s October 2025 releasegives it the perfect debut window for spooky season.
The Outsider’s Monster & Pennywise Share Dark Similarities
While the two aren’t confirmed to be connected in the Stephen King universe,The OutsiderandIT: Welcome to Derryshare very similar villains.IT’s iconic monster Pennywise is an ancient, shapeshifting evil entity that feeds on the fear of its victims. That’s a very similar case forThe Outsider’s evil monster, referred to as El Cuco, which shapeshifts, feeds on its victims’ fear and pain, and can take its victims’ physical forms.
Both creatures primarily target children, which made the introduction ofThe Outsider’s monster feel more familiar after King’sITnovel and adaptations. However, the Outsider doesn’tkill in cycles like Pennywise. Additionally, while Pennywise can take almost any form he wants whenever he wants, it takes more time forThe Outsider’s creature to change forms, and it requires its victim’s DNA.
The Outsider
Cast
Based on Stephen King’s novel, this crime drama series follows a detective and an unconventional investigator as they confront a malevolent supernatural entity infiltrating a child murder investigation, leading them to challenge their perceptions of reality and justice.
It: Welcome to Derry
IT: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to the IT films, exploring the origins of Pennywise the Clown. Set in the 1960s, this installment dives into the backdrop of Derry, unveiling the dark history and circumstances surrounding the infamous creature.
