Will “Hysteria!” and “IT: Welcome to Derry” be horror goldmines?

“Wait! Don’t cancel your subscription yet!”

Did anyone else feel that way after watching the teasers for Hysteria! and IT: Welcome to Derry? (The latter of which was included in a more comprehensive “Coming to Max in 2024-2025” trailer, which included a lot of other exciting teasers for new and upcoming shows.)

Although, honestly, that wasn’t my first thought after seeing either of them. Let’s explore reactions to both teasers first and then why both Peacock and Max may be banking on them in more ways than one.

IT: Welcome to Derry

Like millions of other horror fans, my first reaction was “giddy with excitement” in the case of the IT prequel. We’ve waited how long now? (Too long!)

And talk about a true teaser. It was just a five-second long taste to whet our already ravenous appetites even more, but it was enough of a sample to satiate my curiosity about six specific questions I had about the series. Well, five. We still don’t have an exact release date, but we do know it’s coming sometime in 2025.

We also know it won’t scrimp on the blood, terror, or balloons. And, yes, the rumors were true. Bill Skarsgard will reprise his role as Pennywise!

But it also sparks a couple more questions. Since it’s a prequel, we know it’s set before IT and IT: Chapter Two. But how much before? The same time frame as what was in the book when it was initially released?

And is the creepy kid peering out of the window Pennywise in a teenage form? Or an agent of his destruction?

We’ll get to find out sooner rather than later at this point. (But still not soon enough!) If you haven’t seen the teaser, or want to rewatch it again, click below. It’s set to start at the 1:04 mark, a.k.a. the IT: Welcome to Derry portion.

Hysteria!

My reaction to Hysteria! was a bit more complicated. At first, I completely disregarded the announcement and didn’t bother watching the trailer at all, mainly because it touted that Bruce Campbell was starring in it. Not that I have anything against Campbell. I mean, Evil Dead. He’s forever a horror movie legend for that alone.

But the last time I got really excited about a movie he would be in was Black Christmas. As usual, he rocked his part. And really, so did all his fellow actors. But it was not what I expected and was kind of a stinker of a movie. (In my opinion, which means nada.)

And then there was the Peacock factor. Last year I was all fired up about the premiere of John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams. Ugh. Another letdown.

But above all was the Satanic Panic factor. I’m so over demons. Not that I was ever into them. They’re just not my thing. Thanks to the teaser’s cover and its pentagram, I knew that’s what Hysteria! would be about. Then reading the synopsis confirmed it:

When a beloved varsity quarterback disappears during the “Satanic Panic” of the late 1980s, a struggling high school heavy metal band of outcasts realize they can capitalize on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by building a reputation as a Satanic metal band, until a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings, and reported “supernatural activity” triggers a leather-studded witch hunt that leads directly back to them.

After several friends pinged me asking if I’d seen the trailer yet, FOMO prevailed. I had to see what all the fuss was about.

The eighties, humor and horror. Even my demon-despising self had to admit that looked like a winning combo. Now I’m cautiously optimistic about Hysteria! and will definitely give the first episode a try when it premieres on Peacock on October 18.

Subscription goldmines?

It’s only after having had a few days to digest both teasers that the cynic in me wondered if Peacock and Max had an ulterior motive. Were they trying to retain current subscribers and maybe acquire new ones?

I mean, obviously, they always want to do both. But this might be a perfectly timed strategy for a couple of reasons.

For one, both streamers recently rolled out price hikes. Even with the new increase, Peacock is still considerably less than Max. If you only opt for the Premium plan at $7.99/month, that is. The downside is you still have to suffer through ads.

But their Premium Plus plan costs $13.99/mo. Sure, it eliminates the ads and also allows you to download content, but it’s only a few dollars cheaper than Max, which will set you back almost $20/mo now with its latest increase.

Ouch. That’s a lot of money.

Then there’s the fact that the Olympics are over on Peacock, and the last episode of House of the Dragon season 2 aired on Max. Did both streamers anticipate a drop in subscriptions after the end of each? Will Hysteria! and IT: Welcome to Derry be enough to keep subscribers around? Or to lure them in?

It’s an interesting bet. Horror remains hot. People are willing to pay for it.

If I’m any example, it may work. I was all set to cancel my Peacock subscription after the Olympics ended and resubscribe once the next seasons of The Traitors started. The only reason I planned to keep it through September was in case Civil War starts streaming there. (I think Max is getting it, though, but I’m not positive about that.) But I might as well keep it through October now.

Max is trickier. My husband would love to drop it. He’s never liked the price or the selection. (Or, rather, he’s never been able to justify the price based on the selection.)

But he lets me keep it because once one series ends, I’ve already usually got something else on my radar that I’m anticipating watching. In this case, there’s a lot to look forward to between now and when IT: Welcome to Derry hits Max in 2025. But it’s Derry I’m most excited to get to. What about you?

Check-In

Which series are you looking forward to watching most: Hysteria! or IT: Welcome to Derry? Or both? That’s always an acceptable answer!