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Fans are eagerly awaiting for the horror series It: Welcome to Derry, already garnering praise and drawing from themes from additional King stories. Following the premiere, the network announced that the next chapter will debut sooner than expected, timed perfectly for the spookiest night.

Schedule Change Information

Kicking off on October 31 at 12 a.m. Pacific Time, the second episode of Welcome to Derry will launch on HBO Max, before its linear broadcast. The remaining installments of the eight-episode season will continue to air on the weekend on the network and streaming service, building toward the season finale on the 14th of December.

Series Overview

Set in Stephen King’s It universe, Welcome to Derry is inspired by the classic book while building upon the universe realized by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in It and It Chapter Two. It Chapter One centered on young characters battling terrifying threats, making it appropriate that the prequel upholds that legacy. Nevertheless, the first installment of HBO’s Welcome to Derry shows it set out to increase the tension, delivering even more intense scares than the movies and creating a dark atmosphere for the rest of the season.

Story World and Concepts

Taking place in the 1960s, the series presents a different group of grown-ups and kids residing in a seemingly idyllic town concealing a sinister core. Derry functions through a vicious, repeating pattern—defined by aggression, prejudice, and paranormal events, as a monstrous presence reappears every 27 years. While the series might appear like it leans too heavily to the cinematic adaptations at first, what differentiates the streaming show is its dual perspective—told from the perspectives of kids and grown-ups at the same time. Children stay especially susceptible to the monster's horror, but grown-ups don't escape dealing with their individual fears arising from local discrimination and lurking supernatural forces.

It: Welcome to Derry airs on October 31 at 3 a.m. EST.