2025 has been a massive year for Stephen King adaptations, and HBO’s latest series just became its crowning achievement. Stephen King is one of the most-adapted authors of all time, with dozens of novels and over 100 adaptations in film and television. Despite the generally well-received quality of his books, adaptations of Stephen King’s work have seen mixed reviews, ranging from all-time masterpieces like The Shining and The Shawshank Redemption to disasters like The Dark Tower.
This isn’t a resurgence in terms of Stephen King’s popularity, of course. The author has maintained relevance for nearly six decades and has had an active influence on the film industry since Brian De Palma adapted Carrie in 1976. This resurgence refers to the general level of prestige tied to the adaptations, as 2025 has seen both high volume and quality, with titles like Oz Perkins’ The Monkey, Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck, Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk, MGM+’s The Institute, and now, HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry.
‘It: Welcome to Derry’ is the Best Stephen King Adaptation of the Year
The kids pose in the movie theater in It: Welcome to DerryHBO
It: Welcome to Derry may only have one episode out so far, but it’s evident that this series will live up to HBO’s standard of quality, bringing both franchise excitement and prestige. The title is a prequel to Andy Muschietti’s It movies, capitalizing on one of Stephen King’s greatest stories, but the premise can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the series.
Each of 2025’s previous Stephen King adaptations was created by a fairly reliable source. Ozgood Perkins has received horror acclaim for his work on Longlegs, Francis Lawrence has proven capable of dystopia with The Hunger Games, and Mike Flanagan is becoming a Stephen King regular, with adaptations of Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and upcoming plans for Carrie and The Dark Tower. However, not a single one was met with overwhelming critical acclaim.
It: Welcome to Derry’s reviews aren’t particularly strong just yet, but we’re only one episode deep, and the town of Derry still has plenty of secrets to unravel. Regardless, the opening episode instantly reminded audiences of why Derry and the numerous tales and characters Stephen King wrote for It are timeless and meaningful. This is a town filled with charm and beauty, but also with darkness that continuously creeps out and finds its way into normalcy.
I still expect that Edgar Wright’s The Running Man will give Welcome to Derry a serious run for its money, but the longer-form narrative suits King’s work. It is a massive novel, and although the two film adaptations were successful, they only scratched the surface of the excellent material that this TV series can unravel. Even though it’s based on interludes and not the actual book, It: Welcome to Derry perfectly captures the essence of Stephen King’s opus.
Release Date
October 26, 2025
Network
HBO
Directors
Andy Muschietti
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