IT: Welcome to Derry Puts Even More Pressure on One of the Next Major Stephen King TV Shows (But I Still Have Faith)

The arrival of the first season of It: Welcome to Derry on HBO proved that audiences still have a massive appetite for Stephen King’s spooky multiverse. Premiering in late 2025, the series quickly became a juggernaut for Warner Bros. Discovery, securing a spot as one of the top original series in the history of the HBO Max streaming platform. The debut season finale alone pulled in 6.5 million viewers in the United States within its first three days, contributing to a global average of nearly 20 million viewers per episode. Furthermore, critics echoed this enthusiasm, granting IT: Welcome to Derry a Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Finally, fans praised the return of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, noting that the prequel managed to maintain the terrifying atmosphere of the films while exploring the cosmic rot of Derry. 

It: Welcome to Derry‘s commercial and critical success has set a high bar for any upcoming adaptations attempting to capture the specific magic of King’s books. In addition, while It: Welcome to Derry functions primarily as a prequel to the recent films, the series acts as a bridge to the broader library of Stephen King. The show features a young Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) as a central protagonist, providing a direct link to the psychic mythology established in The Shining. Beyond this major character crossover, the narrative is packed with connective tissue, such as a subplot involving a character destined for Shawshank Penitentiary and frequent nods to Juniper Hill Asylum. The show even incorporates heavy symbolism regarding Maturin the turtle, a cosmic entity that serves a vital role in the larger Stephen King cosmology.

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The prequel’s aggressive focus on interconnectivity is a hallmark of The Dark Tower series, which stands as the narrative hub for almost every story King has written. As it turns out, there is a The Dark Tower series currently in development, with fan-favorite horror creator Mike Flanagan involved. Expectations were already over the ceiling for this show, but the success of IT: Welcome to Derry demands that Flanagan’s The Dark Tower be a masterpiece. 

Mike Flanagan’s The Dark Tower Can Still Be the Best Stephen King Adaptation

The development of the television adaptation of The Dark Tower has been a slow process, but recent updates suggest the project is finally gaining momentum. Flanagan acquired the rights to the series independently and has consistently referred to the project as his personal holy grail. In early 2026, the filmmaker confirmed that scripts for multiple The Dark Tower episodes are largely completed and the series remains his absolute first priority. His current plan involves a sprawling narrative designed to run for five seasons, followed by two standalone feature films to conclude the story. While the project is being developed outside his broader deal with Amazon, it’s likely that the production will eventually find its home on Prime Video. 

Flanagan’s roadmap ensures that the adaptation will have the necessary space to breathe, avoiding the rushed and condensed storytelling that hindered previous attempts to bring the Gunslinger to the screen. The 2017 adaptation of The Dark Tower tried to compress seven massive books into a single theatrical release. In doing so, it alienated a fervent fanbase who were enraged about key characters being fully absent from the story, while also failing to convince casual moviegoers to invest in King’s connected multiverse.

Even if The Dark Tower seems impossible to adapt for many fans, Flanagan is arguably the most qualified creator to handle this burden. He has already directed three highly acclaimed adaptations of King’s work, including the psychological thriller Gerald’s Game, the ambitious sequel Doctor Sleep, and the recent drama The Life of Chuck. He also recently finished production on an eight-episode limited series based on Carrie, which is scheduled to premiere later in 2026. This track record demonstrates an intimate understanding of the thematic depth and character-driven horror that fans can find in the source material. By placing the center of the King multiverse in the hands of a director who has already mastered the nuances of the author’s voice, we can be confident that the property will receive the respect it deserves.

The first season of It: Welcome to Derry is currently available to stream on Max.

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