HBO’s upcoming IT prequel,It: Welcome to Derry, is set for release in the coming months, but while viewers are waiting, they can watch another Stephen King adaptation released five years ago. The long-anticipated prequel to King’s acclaimed novel,It: Welcome To Derry,is set in the 1960s and is set to explore themysterious origins of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, who reappears every 27 years. Thecast ofIt:WelcomeToDerryincludes Bill Skarsgård reprising his iconic role of Pennywise and will introduce new characters to the clown’s backstory.
Stephen King’sITis considered one of the best horror stories ever writtenand inspired the release of several movie adaptations across the years, includingIt(2017) andIt Chapter Two(2019); reviews for the two-partITadaptation were mainly positive, and grossed a combined $1.17 billion at the box office. In 2022, it was announced that HBO would develop a prequel series to the story with Jason Fuchs serving as a co-writer. The officialtrailer forIt:WelcomeToDerrypromises viewers a dark view of the clown’s backstory, but until its official release, an overlooked series can be checked out.
The Outsider Was HBO’s First Stephen King Horror Show Before IT: Welcome To Derry
The Outsider Was Released In 2020
In 2020, HBO released the miniseries,The Outsider,adapted from Stephen King’s 2018 novel of the same name. Developed by Richard Price, the crime drama series follows Detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendlesohn), who is called to investigate the gruesome murder of a young boy, Frank Peterson, in Cherokee City, Georgia. Initially, it seems to be a simple open-and-shut case, with many believing local Little League coach, Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman), to be responsible for the crime. But as the series progresses and new evidence is uncovered, Ralph soon discovers that this case is much more complicated than he expected.
AlthoughThe Outsidermade changes to the Stephen King novel, the performances from the main cast, particularly Ben Mendlesohn and Cynthia Erivo, and its blend of mystery, drama and supernatural were praised. The series has an impressive score of 91% onRotten Tomatoes, and isone of the highest-ranked Stephen King TV series adaptations. Considering the critical success ofThe Outsiderand its ranking asone of the best horror miniseries of all time, it’s surprising that HBO waited five years to adapt another of Stephen King’s novels.
The Outsider Is Still One Of The Best Stephen King Adaptations
The Outsider Was Supposed To Receive A Second Season
WhileThe Outsiderhas flown under the radar since its release on HBO, it is still consideredone of the best Stephen King TV adaptationsever made. Since the 1970s, there have been more than 100 movie and TV adaptations of Stephen King’s novels with varying levels of success.The Outsideris considered to be one of the greatest TV adaptations due to its ability to masterfully blend multiple themes while also keeping audiences in suspense, which is a critical element in all of King’s books.
As of 2025, Stephen King’s debut novel,Carrie,has received the most visual adaptations, having been adapted into four movies, including an unofficial sequel, and a Broadway musical.
King considersThe Outsiderone of the best adaptations of his works, tweeting his support of the HBO miniseries onX, formerly Twitter, and encouraging viewers to watch it. There were initial plans forThe Outsiderto receive a season 2, but, despite a script being written,HBO decided not to renewThe Outsider.While King and the cast expressed interest in continuing the series, it was never picked up by another network, endingThe Outsideron an unresolved cliffhanger.
The Outsider’s Success Is Great News For IT: Welcome To Derry
While it is disappointing thatThe Outsiderwas never renewed for season 2, its critical success shows that HBO has what it takes to makeIt: Welcome To Derrya hit with audiences. HBO has already seen great critical success with other popular horror series, includingLovecraftCountry(2020) andThe Last of Us(2023), which perfectly highlights HBO’s continued success in the horror genre.
It: Welcome to Derry’sofficial trailer shows that HBO is approaching the prequel series with the right amount of suspense and terror to keep audiences entertained, while also remaining very faithful to King’s novel.Stephen King was consulted throughoutIt:WelcometoDerry’sproduction, and HBO ensured that he approved every aspect of the series before its release. HBO’s previously acclaimed work in the horror genre and their working relationship with King guaranteeIt: Welcome to Derry’ssuccess, andThe Outsiderproves the perfect series to watch while waiting for an official release date.
Sources:Rotten Tomatoes,Stephen King
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.
