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Fans are eagerly awaiting for the chilling show It: Welcome to Derry, that's been garnering praise and drawing from elements from other Stephen King works. Just one day after launch, the broadcaster announced that the next chapter will debut sooner than expected, released fittingly for Halloween.

Schedule Change Information

Beginning on October 31 at 3 a.m. EST, episode two of the Derry prequel will premiere on the streaming service, before its traditional TV airing. Subsequent episodes of the series run will be released on the weekend on the network and streaming service, leading up to the season finale on Sunday, December 14.

Series Overview

Set in the Derry mythology, It: Welcome to Derry is inspired by the classic book while enlarging the world brought to life by the It movie director in the two It films. The first It movie highlighted young characters confronting supernatural evils, so it’s fitting that the prequel continues that tradition. Nevertheless, the first installment of the streaming show demonstrates it aimed to raise the stakes, delivering more frightening moments than the cinematic versions and setting a brutal tone for the rest of the season.

Story World and Concepts

Located in the early '60s, the series presents a different group of parents and youngsters living in a apparently peaceful community hiding a sinister core. Derry functions through a cruel, recurring cycle—characterized by hostility, discrimination, and otherworldly forces, as a monstrous presence returns each 27-year cycle. Even though the series might appear like it skews too close to the films initially, what distinguishes the HBO Max series is its two-sided viewpoint—told from the viewpoints of young and old simultaneously. Younger characters stay highly exposed to the monster's horror, but the adults aren’t spared dealing with their individual fears born from local discrimination and covert otherworldly powers.

It: Welcome to Derry debuts on October 31 at 12 a.m. Pacific Time.