Stephen King has given an early review for HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, which allows the overarching IT franchise to hit a new milestone.
Based on one of Stephen King’s most popular books, the IT movies grossed a combined box office of over $1 billion worldwide. Although the second IT movie was relatively more divisive in terms of critical reception, the two films easily rank among the most successful adaptations of Stephen King’s work.
Owing to their success, it is not surprising that their lore is now being expanded with a TV show. Serving as a prequel to the films, HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry will be available for streaming on October 26, 2025. While only time will tell whether the show will be able to repeat the movies’ success, Stephen King’s early review of it spells a promising start for the series.
Stephen King’s Praise For Welcome To Derry Redeems His More Mixed Response To IT’s Last TV Show
The first TV adaptation of Stephen King’s IT came out in 1990. The show starred Tim Curry as Pennywise and unfolded its story in two parts. Although the show is still regarded as one of the better small-screen Stephen King adaptations, it has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 68%, suggesting a more mixed response from critics.
As the above post reveals, Stephen King has praised It: Welcome to Derry by calling it “amazing” and hinting at how its “first episode is terrifying.” When it comes to the 1990 miniseries, however, Stephen King, too, had a mixed reaction. In a 2015 interview (via Yahoo), he said the show really surprised him and was even really ambitious.
King later addressed the 1990 series’ influence on an entire generation (via EW) by recalling how “kids between the ages of 8 and 14 were scared sh**less by Tim Curry.” He even compared it with the first IT movie, highlighting how it gave audiences “a chance to revisit that particular experience in their childhood.“
Even though the show left King surprised with how much it achieved with its miniseries format, the author did have a few reservations about its creative liberties. Although the author never explicitly denounced the adaptation. He specifically had a problem with the show’s lack of focus on the adult characters and how it portrayed Richie Tozier with significantly reduced depth.
The author felt the show’s Richie only had two dimensions to him: he was either “a scumbag” or “sort of a kindhearted Buddy Hackett.” (via Fangoria Issue 99)
Stephen King’s Praise Is A Big Milestone For Andy Muschietti’s 3 IT Adaptations
The first IT movie got a positive reception from both viewers and critics when it premiered in 2017. Even to this day, the movie holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85%. Owing to this, it is not surprising that Stephen King, too, loved the film and said that, even though he already had high hopes for it, he was ”not prepared for how good it really was.” (via popculture.)
Although the second movie got a relatively more mixed reception, King held his stance on Andy Muschietti’s take on his novel by calling both films ”fun” and ”scary” (via Vanity Fair). After the two movies, It: Welcome to Derry has now become the third Andy Muschietti adaptation of Stephen King’s IT to earn the author’s stamp of approval.
It proves that even though Andy Muschietti’s big and small screen interpretations of Stephen King’s renowned book have not been perfect, they rank well above most adaptations of the author’s work. Stephen King‘s review of It: Welcome to Derry does not guarantee its success, but it assures that it captures the essence and terrors of the source material.
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