Whether you've read Stephen King's book or just watched the movie/TV adaptations, you know about Derry. The fictional Maine town is so prevalent in King's Macroverse that some people think it's a real place. But, thankfully, the small town filled with otherworldly horrors exists only on page and screen.
With IT: Welcome to Derry (2025) delving deeper into the town's lore, you might be wondering what other Stephen King movies and shows take place in Derry, Maine. While King's work has endless mentions of the town, only a handful of stories actually take place there. Head over to HBO Max, Shudder, and more to visit Derry now.
It (1990)
Millennials and older are well acquainted with It, the 1990 miniseries that made an entire generation of young viewers unreasonably scared of shower drains. (If you know, you know.) These days, the cheesy special effects can't hold a candle to Andy Muschietti's modern remake. However, what the miniseries lacks in pazazz, it makes up for with a compellingly chilling and fun performance from Tim Curry as Pennywise.
Like the later versions of It, the miniseries takes place in Derry, Maine, as the Losers Club battles Pennywise, first as children in the '60s, and again, in the '90s as adults. For the right kind of audience, It is deeply nostalgic and carries an unreplicable '90s charm. While it might not have the same mass appeal as the later remakes, the miniseries is worth watching at least once, especially if you enjoyed Welcome to Derry.
Dreamcatcher (2003)
Dreamcatcher is a rather infamous box-office bomb that's gone on to have a small cult following (emphasis on "small"). In one of King's more sci-fi-leaning stories, it follows a group of friends who gain telepathic powers after rescuing a man with Down syndrome (Donnie Wahlberg) from bullies. Those who've seen the movie know it contains a bizarre tonal shift about midway through its almost two and a half hour runtime. What starts as an intriguing mystery becomes a meandering story with questionable special effects.
If you like "so bad, it's good" movies, Dreamcatcher falls in that category. At the best of times, it's a little bit like The Stand (1990) meets pure sci-fi. However, at the worst of times, you'll be checking your watch, wondering when it's going to end. Still, if you want to be immersed in the woods of Derry, you'll get a whole lot of that here.
Bag of Bones (2011)
Unless you're a hardcore King fan, you might've slept on Bag of Bones. This two-part miniseries stars Pierce Brosnan as Mike Noonan, a bestselling author still grieving his wife's sudden death, whose time at an isolated lake house involves ghostly visions and a bizarre custody battle between locals. While Bag of Bones is primarily set in TR-90, Mike's hometown of Derry kicks off the story.
If you like Mike Flannagan's supernatural horror series, like The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), you'll find a similar vibe here. Bag of Bones is sufficiently creepy and engaging, just with a smaller budget. Not only does it remain relatively faithful to King's novel, but it also delivers on atmospheric horror and slow-creeping tension.
11/22/63 (2016)
Like Bag of Bones, Derry isn't the primary setting for the 11/22/63 miniseries; Texas is. However, the book begins in Maine, and later, sees Jake Epping (played in the series by James Franco) visit Derry and even interact with Beverly Marsh and Richie Tozier, two fan-favorite It characters. Unfortunately, the miniseries leaves out Derry entirely (and thus the It crossover), which may dissuade some viewers. Still, the connective tissue makes it worth mentioning.
Less like Back to the Future (1985) and more like Looper (2012), 11/22/63 chronicles Jake's quest to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. While King is best known for his horror, he also has a knack for sci-fi. Thrilling, tense, and twisty, once you watch 11/22/63, you'll realize why it remains a fan-favorite book, especially if you like time travel stories.
It (2017)
There isn't much to say about the plot of It (2017) that wasn't already covered in the entry for the It miniseries. In this case, It (2017) covers the childhood encounters between the Losers Club and Pennywise, saving the adult stand-off for the sequel. While Tim Curry's alien clown remains iconic, Bill Skarsgård manages to imbue his Pennywise with even more menace and unsettling terror.
As for which telling of It is better, it primarily comes down to your taste. While the miniseries has a campy, low-budget vibe, It (2017) embraces a modern feel and the CGI that comes with it. Personally, I think a little CGI does wonders for Pennywise's fear factor, and if you like horror movies with a coming-of-age plot, you can't do much better.
It Chapter Two (2019)
Following in the footsteps of the miniseries, It Chapter Two proves the adult portion of King's story isn't quite as exciting. That's not to say it's not worth watching, but if you're asking me, Pennywise works best when chasing down children and peering through sewer drains. It is a coming-of-age story, so when the protagonists actually "come of age," the stakes lessen.
It Chapter Two mostly exists because the entirety of King's story couldn't fit in the first movie. Funny enough, the sequel is even longer, with It Chapter Two clocking in at almost three hours. If you've got the time to watch it, do it. However, I'd argue you can enjoy It (2017) on its own.
IT: Welcome to Derry (2025)
IT: Welcome to Derry might pull from Stephen King's novel, but it doesn't pull from his brain. Developed by the creatives behind It (2017) and It Chapter Two, the prequel spins its own tale about Pennywise and Derry in 1962. While the first half of King's novel actually takes place in the late '50s, Welcome to Derry's timeline adheres to the setting of the It remake, which begins in 1988.
Confusing? Supremely. However, the good news is that Welcome to Derry starts friendly enough for newcomers to understand. While early reviews have left critics divided, anyone who likes Stephen King's other movie and TV adaptations should enjoy this. The prequel continues the franchise's coming-of-age vibe while delving deeper into themes of racial tension, generational trauma, and, of course, Pennywise's supernatural scares.
