Stephen King’s killer-clown novel “IT” was made into a 1990 miniseries starring Tim Curry, then adapted into two well-received films, one in 2017 and its sequel in 2019. Now, Pennywise is returning to terrify viewers in HBO Max’s upcoming “IT” prequel series, and here’s what we know about it.

“Welcome to Derry” is the show’s tentative title, and the series will be produced by alums of the “IT” movies, including co-producers Barbara Muschietti and her brother Andy, with Andy set to direct the first episode. Jason Fuchs, who played Richie Tozier’s manager in “IT Chapter Two,” is set to be an executive producer and writer.

As a prequel, the series will dive into the backstory of Pennywise the clown, and his curse on the town of Derry, Maine. King’s original “IT” novel is over a thousand pages, so there will be plenty of material for the prequel’s writers to examine, and the book also holds some clues as to what we may see in the show.

The “IT” book reveals that Pennywise nearly wiped out a colony of 300 settlers in the 1740s, but the clown’s age is a mystery. His story may go back hundreds or even thousands of years, which means “Welcome to Derry” could end up being a period piece, a prospect that certainly sounds different and exciting.