HBO’s upcoming adaptation of one of Stephen King’s most popular novels,It: Welcome to Derry, is poised to break a six-year adaptation streak that has shaped King’s works for years. Ever sinceItfirst released in 2017, stories of Bill Skarsgård’s murderous clown, Pennywise, and the unsettling town of Derry, Maine have terrified audiences.Ithas always been one ofStephen King’s best books, so it is hardly surprising that the story has inspired not only two movie adaptations, but also a two-part TV miniseries in 1990, and now an HBO series set to release in 2025.
One of the unique aspects of the world ofItis that Pennywise only emerges in 27-year cycles. So, while the firstItmovie took place in 1988,It Chapter Twotook place in 2016. The upcoming HBO adaptation,It: Welcome to Derry, will instead go back in time to 1962.These 27-year cycles setIt: Welcome to Derryup to tell terrifying stories as the show travels further back in time. For this reason, it was incredibly exciting when HBO announced that rather than being a limited series,It: Welcome to Derryhas a three-season plan.
It: Welcome To Derry’s 3-Season Plan Ends A Stephen King Miniseries Streak That Began In 2019
The fact thatIt: Welcome to Derrywill get three seasonsis exciting enough on its own, but what makes it particularly interesting is that having a multi-season run will break a 6-year streak for TV adaptations of Stephen King novels. SinceCastle RockandMr. Mercedesended in 2019, allTV adaptations of Stephen King’s work have been miniseries or ended after 1 season.
HBO’s previous Stephen King adaptation,The Outsider, received generally positive reviews when it released in 2020, but it was a 10-episode miniseries that was never envisioned going longer. Similarly,The Standon CBS All Access was a 9-episode miniseries. The only Stephen King adaptation in the past 6 years to even hint at a multi-season run wasChapelwaiteon Epix, but plans for a second installment were ultimately scrapped by MGM+. And although Prime Video’s adaptation ofCarrieis hotly anticipated,Carrieis only planned to be an 8-episode limited series.
Welcome To Derryhas the opportunity to prove that Stephen King’s novels have staying power in the streaming era of television.
But HBO plans to giveIt: Welcome to Derrya full three seasons to explore Derry and all the horror therein.Welcome to Derryhas the opportunity to prove that Stephen King’s novels have staying power in the streaming era of television. With any luck,It: Welcome to Derrycould usher in a new era of King adaptations- as one of the most prolific horror authors ever, there is no shortage of fascinating material waiting for adaptation.
Another Upcoming Stephen King Show Has A Great Chance To Curb His Miniseries Adaptation Streak
Multiple King Adaptations Are In The Works
And there are still more adaptations of Stephen King’s works coming.An adaptation of Stephen King’s 2019 novel,The Institute, is set to release on MGM+ on July 31, 2025, and Prime Video’sCarrieadaptation began principal photography in June. On top of that, British filmmaker Paul Greengrass, known for the Jason Bourne franchise, announced in 2022 that he planned to work on an adaptation ofFairy Tale,and repeated his involvement in 2024.
AlthoughCarrieis being explicitly promoted as a miniseries,The Institutehas been a bit more vague about its future plans. So far, it’s set to premiere as a single 8-episode season, but MGM+ has not foreclosed the possibility of additional episodes later. AndFairy Taleis so far in pre-production that anything is possible. Although theItfranchisehas been the most popular recent adaptation of King’s work, it could very well be the starting point for a new era of horror television. AndIt: Welcome to Derrycould be the first of many multi-season King adaptations.
