In Just 1 Day, Stephen King’s It Franchise Is 1 of the Most Popular in the World

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Stephen King is an incredibly popular author, and many of his works have been turned into movies and TV shows – some even multiple times. 2025 saw a surge in adaptations of his stories, and the recent series has significantly revived his popular It franchise.

Stephen King’s novel It, originally published in 1986, has been adapted for the screen several times. But it was Andy Muschietti’s two-part film adaptation that really made Pennywise the Dancing Clown a household name. Now, the prequel series It: Welcome to Derry is a hit, quickly becoming a major streaming franchise, according to FlixPatrol, just one day after its debut.

The new series, It: Welcome to Derry, launched on HBO Max on October 26th and quickly became popular around the globe. On October 27th, it ranked eighth overall, despite data being available from only a limited number of countries—the U.S. wasn’t included in the initial count. Even with this incomplete data, the series immediately reached number one in 12 different countries.

The following day brought even better results, with It: Welcome to Derry reaching the top spot worldwide and in the US. The series quickly rose to number one in 57 countries, surpassing its previous competitor.

The It franchise is a huge success, reaching number one in over 50 countries. Both parts of the series are currently climbing the charts and even competing with 2025’s top horror film, Weapons. The first It movie from 2017 is currently second worldwide, while It Chapter Two from 2019 is in third. In the United States, the original 2017 film holds fifth place, but the sequel isn’t currently ranking on the charts.

It: Welcome to Derry Had a Positive Reception

Fans have been waiting a long time for this new series. Andy and Barbara Muschietti first announced plans to expand the world of It back in March 2022. Created with Jason Fuchs, who also runs the show alongside Brad Caleb Kane, it premiered on October 26, 2025, and features Bill Skarsgård returning as the terrifying Pennywise.

The show was well-received by critics and proved popular with viewers. It initially earned an 80% rating on review aggregator sites, which has slightly decreased to 76% based on 70 reviews. This score is still just high enough to maintain its ‘Certified Fresh’ status. Audience scores mirrored this positive response, averaging 81%.

This installment falls between the earlier films in the series. The original from 2017 was well-received, earning an 85% rating from critics and 84% from audiences. The 2019 sequel received somewhat lower scores, with 62% from critics and 78% from audiences. Both movies did well in theaters and are gaining popularity again with the release of the newest film.

It: Welcome to Derry releases new episodes every Sunday on HBO Max.

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2025-10-28 16:11