‘It: Welcome to Derry’: Cast & Character Guide

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Launching on HBO Max just before Halloween, October 26, 2025, It: Welcome to Derry is a new story based on the world of Stephen King’s novel. The series introduces fresh characters alongside some familiar ones. Set in the town of Derry, Maine, in 1962, Welcome to Derry centers on Leroy Hanlon, a military commander, and his family as they move in with their young child. When a local boy disappears, unsettling events begin to stir fear and suspicion throughout the seemingly peaceful town.

While It: Welcome to Derry features some new faces, it also includes characters from Stephen King’s books. Notably, Leroy Hanlon is connected to Mike Hanlon, a central figure in the novel It. Plus, with a character appearing from The Shining, it’s interesting to consider how this story fits into the larger Stephen King universe.

Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise


HBO Max

Bill Skarsgård returns as It/Pennywise, the terrifying, shape-shifting monster from the sewers that haunts the town of Derry, Maine. Pennywise often appears as a menacing, grinning clown and is the main villain in Stephen King’s novel. While Tim Curry famously played the character in the 1990 film, Skarsgård took on the role in the 2017 remake directed by Andy Muschietti.

The new series, Welcome to Derry (co-directed by Muschietti), will once again feature Pennywise terrorizing children by exploiting their fears in 1962. Pennywise stands out as the most recognizable horror villain from Stephen King’s stories within HBO’s prequel series. Bill Skarsgård is not only an executive producer, but he’s also returning to King’s TV adaptations for the first time since appearing in Castle Rock on Hulu.

Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, and Blake Cameron James as the Hanlon Family

Taylour Paige (known for her roles in Zola and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) and Jovan Adepo (Watchmen, The Leftovers) play Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon in It: Welcome to Derry. While these characters don’t appear in Stephen King’s original It novel, they are the grandparents of Mike Hanlon, a key member of the Losers’ Club. Mike stays in Derry and dedicates himself to documenting the town’s strange history and supernatural events, becoming the group’s source of information when the evil Pennywise returns.

In the original novels, Mike’s mother has already passed away, and his father later dies from cancer. However, the film adaptations from 2017 and 2019 show Mike’s parents dying in a fire, leading him to be raised by his grandfather, Leroy. The new prequel, Welcome to Derry, takes place in 1962 and centers on the Hanlon family moving to town. Leroy is a Major in the Air Force, and the family quickly becomes involved when a young boy, Matt Clements (played by Miles Ekhardt), goes missing—a smaller character in Stephen King’s novel It.

Blake Cameron James, known for his role in Found, We Grown Now, plays Will Hanlon in It: Welcome to Derry. Will is Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon’s son in the TV series and the father of Mike Hanlon in Stephen King’s original novel. The show explores much of Will’s history through the character of Leroy instead.

Chris Chalk as Dick Hallorann


HBO

The most anticipated character joining the ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ series is Dick Hallorann, portrayed by Chris Chalk, known for his roles in ‘Detroit’ and ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’. Hallorann is famous as the chef from Stephen King’s 1977 horror novel, The Shining, and was memorably played by Scatman Crothers in Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation. Beyond his culinary skills, Hallorann possesses a psychic ability called “the shine,” which allows him to foresee dangerous events, a gift he shares with the young Danny Torrance (played by Danny Lloyd).

While most people remember him from The Shining, Dick Hallorann is also a character in Stephen King’s It. In the novel, he’s a key part of the Black Spot, a unique place where people of all races come together peacefully despite the tensions of the time. Carl Lumbly portrayed Dick Hallorann in Mike Flanagan’s 2019 film Doctor Sleep, which serves as a prequel to The Shining. This release happened in the same year as It: Chapter Two.

Given that It: Welcome to Derry is a prequel taking place in 1962 – a time when the Civil Rights movement was gaining momentum – Dick Hallorann’s part in the story should be significant. The story establishes his military history by showing him meeting Leroy Hanlon while stationed at an Air Force base.

Mikkal Karim-Fidler as Teddy Uris


HBO Max

Mikkal Karim-Fidler (known for roles in “Boy in the Walls” and “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”) plays Teddy Uris, a new character introduced in the “Welcome to Derry” series. While Teddy isn’t in the original Stephen King novel, he’s the grandson of Stan Uris, who was a key member of the Losers’ Club.

Stan Uris, a member of the Losers’ Club who fought the evil Pennywise as a child in 1958, is also featured in Stephen King’s novel 11/22/63. Unlike the other Losers, he didn’t return to Derry as an adult in 1985. The story It: Welcome to Derry introduces Terry Uris, Stan’s grandfather, and explores the long history of his family’s connection to the town.

New Characters Featured in ‘It: Welcome to Derry’


HBO 

In addition to familiar faces from Stephen King’s stories, It: Welcome to Derry introduces several new characters. Here are some of the most important ones:

  • James Remar (48 Hours, Oppenheimer) as General Francis Shaw, a U.S. Air Force General overseeing the Air Force basenearDerry, Maine. As Leroy’s boss, Shaw is the main person in charge of missions.
  • Stephen Rider (Daredevil, Instinct) as Hank Grogan, a Derry local who works at the Capital Theater. In the pilot, Hank is questioned about the sudden disappearance of Matty Clements, sparking a widespread investigation by the local police and Air Force base.
  • Amanda Christine (Ada Twist, Scientist) as Ronnie Grogan, Hank Grogan’s young daughter, who helps him at the Capital Theater. Ronnie spotted Matty before he disappeared and teamed up with the other children to find answers.
  • Rudy Mancuso (The Flash) as Captain Pauly Russo, an Air Force captain who has been friends with Leroy since their time together in the Korean War.
  • Clara Stack (Hawkeye, Madam Secretary) as Lilly Bainbridge, a bullied child from Derry who is referred to as “Looney” for her time in the Juniper Hill mental hospital. Despite her troubled past, Lilly has visions of Matty that could be key to finding the missing boy.
  • Matilda Lawler (Station Eleven, Evil) as Marge, Lilly’s only friend who sticks by the bullied outcast no matter what, as they try to solve Matty’s disappearance.
  • Jack Molloy Legault & Matilda Legault as Phil and Susie Malkin, Teddy’s best friend and his younger sister, who set out to help the other children find Matty.

Even though the second episode will be released on Halloween, you can watch new episodes of It: Welcome to Derry every Sunday on HBO Max.

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2025-10-29 03:34