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How many IT movies are there?
Hiya, Georgie—I mean, readers! Counting “It” (1990), “IT” (2017), and “IT: Chapter Two” (2019), there are three IT movies — plus a prequel TV series, titled “IT: Welcome to Derry”. You can watch them all down here in the storm drain with me, Pennywise the Dancing Clown!
If you need to catch up on the films or refresh your memory before watching “IT: Welcome to Derry”, you’re in the right place. I’ve created this how-to-watch guide with all the information you need to find the IT movies and series on streaming services and at video-on-demand (VOD) outlets.
Spoiler alert/a word from our sponsor, DIRECTV: HBO Max™ has every IT movie—and it’s the only place to watch “IT: Welcome to Derry”. Lucky for you, new subscribers get three months of HBO Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ®, Cinemax®, and MGM+™ included with select packages (a $175 value).
So, you can get your Pennywise jumpscare fix by simply signing up for streaming with DIRECTV and bingeing the entire IT franchise on your preferred streaming device during those first 90 days.
(FYI, Pennywise already has HBO Max—and we all float down here! You’ll float too!)
Pro tip: Watching all three IT movies and the series will take 15 hours and 46 minutes. Reading Stephen King’s original 1,138-page novel (average reading speed is about 50 pages per hour) takes 22 hours and 46 minutes—but reading is fundamental.
What are the IT movies and shows?
In 1986, Stephen King dropped a big, fat, scary-as-hell book on the world: “IT”, about a group of teens called The Losers Club that confronts a—primarily clown-presenting—ancient evil in the late 1950s, and again as adults 27 years later. The brutally frightening, sometimes poignant, coming-of-age tale became one of King’s best-known works.
Initially believed unfilmable due to its length and numerous flashbacks, “IT” nonetheless spawned a 1990 miniseries, two theatrical adaptations (2017 and 2019), and the HBO Original TV series “IT: Welcome to Derry”.
IT fact: IT (2017) and IT: Chapter Two grossed roughly $1.2 billion worldwide—about 10 times their combined $114 million budget
How to watch the IT movies and shows in chronological order
The IT movies already bounce between the past and (in-movie) present, and the filmmakers made timeline tweaks with every single adaptation. So chronological order is tough to pin down for this franchise—but I think I’ve got it.
List of IT movies and shows in chronological order
For context, and to further illustrate how screwy the timeline is, the original “IT” novel happens in 1957–58 (childhood) and 1984–85 (adulthood).
- “IT: Welcome to Derry” (2025) is a prequel series set in 1962, relative to the events of “IT” (2017).
- Stephen King’s “It” (1990), the miniseries, was the first adaptation and the only one to try to tell the whole story in a single production. Filmmakers adjusted the timeline to occur in 1960 and 1990, making it the only adaptation that messes with the story’s every-27-years plot point.
- “IT” (2017) is devoted to the childhood portion of the story, but it was updated to be set in 1989.
- “IT: Chapter Two” (2019) focuses primarily on the present-day/adult events and takes place in 2016.
If that’s not confusing enough for ya, Andy Muschietti plans two more seasons of “IT: Welcome to Derry”—set in 1935 and 1908, respectively. (Yes, that means more timeline screwiness.) But we’ll ignore those for now.
Since the original novel, 1990 film adaptation, and (to a lesser extent) the two Muschietti IT films flip between the past and present, watching everything in chronological order is essentially the same as watching in release order. (That should change when the second and third seasons of “IT: Welcome to Derry” come out.)
In addition to subscribing to HBO Max—which includes HBO channels so you can watch “IT: Welcome to Derry” live if ya want—you can use the JustWatch.com links in each entry below to see where to rent or buy the IT movies from VOD retailers like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.
Where to watch “It” (1990)
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (“Halloween III: Season of the Witch”) and adapted by screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen (known for adapting Stephen King’s “Carrie”), “It” (1990) is a pretty great two-part miniseries, notwithstanding the challenges of adapting the book. Tim Curry turned in a characteristically fantastic, meme-worthy performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and fans like me, who read the book contemporaneously and drooled over a screen adaptation, were mostly satisfied. But “It” could have been better.
Pro tip: Do you speak Hindi? If so, you can add a second series to your IT movie marathon. Woh (1998) is a 52-episode IT adaptation out of India starring the 4’7” actor Lilliput as Pennywise—and it’s free to watch on YouTube.
Where to watch “IT” (2017)
Perhaps not coincidentally, this new adaptation popped up 27 years later. Directed by Andy Muschietti and written by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman, “IT” (2017) follows only the childhood portion of the story and updates the setting to 1989 to make it more relatable for modern audiences (and accommodate a bangin’ ‘80s soundtrack). I was giddy in my theater seat because Muschietti nailed this one, capturing the essence of King’s terrifying coming-of-age tale while introducing an even freakier Pennywise from actor Bill Skarsgård.
Where to watch “It: Chapter Two” (2019)
“IT: Chapter Two” is the adult side of the story (with flashbacks to the past) set in 2016. It’s another win for Muschietti: faithful to the book (update aside) and scary—and Bill Hader as grown-up Richie Tozier rules all over the place. (No contemporary soundtrack, though—a solid choice.) And, of course, more of Bill Skarsgård’s gleefully baleful antics as Pennywise.
“IT: Welcome to Derry” (2025)
The HBO Original prequel series “IT: Welcome to Derry” was developed by Andy Muschietti & Barbara Muschietti with Jason Fuchs. The plan is to have three seasons, each working backward in 27-year intervals (1962, 1935, and 1908), revealing the Pennywise origin story, with Skarsgård returning to the role.
How to rent or buy the IT movies on demand
If you’d rather rent the IT movies on demand instead of subscribing to a streaming service, the JustWatch.com links above will tell you which VOD retailers have the films for rent or purchase.
How to watch every IT movie and show in order FAQ
In what order should I watch the IT movies?
I recommend watching the IT movies in release order since the already jumpy timeline doesn’t really lend itself to a chronological screening. That said, do you. If you wanna give it a shot, try watching "IT: Welcome to Derry" first, followed by "It" (1990), "IT" (2017), and "IT: Chapter Two" (2019).
Is there an "IT: Chapter Three" coming out?
No, but there are two more seasons of a prequel series, "IT: Welcome to Derry", coming up.
Where can I watch the "IT: Welcome to Derry" series?
"IT: Welcome to Derry" streams on HBO Max.
Is Bill Skarsgård returning in "IT: Welcome to Derry"?
Yes, Bill Skarsgård reprises his role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in "IT: Welcome to Derry".
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