It: Welcome to Derry Releases Second Sooner Than Planned on HBO's Digital Service

Audiences are thrilled for the horror series the Derry series, already garnering praise and drawing from references from other Stephen King works. Just one day after launch, the broadcaster has revealed that the next chapter will premiere ahead of schedule, released fittingly for October 31st.

Schedule Change Information

Starting on Halloween night at 3 a.m. EST, episode two of the Derry prequel will launch on HBO Max, prior to its Sunday HBO premiere. Subsequent episodes of the series run will continue to air on the weekend on both HBO and its streaming arm, culminating in the concluding chapter on December 14th.

Show Background

Based in the world of King's It, It: Welcome to Derry is inspired by King’s iconic novel while enlarging the setting established by director Andy Muschietti in the two It films. The original It focused on adolescents facing terrifying threats, thus it's suitable that this show upholds that legacy. However, the first installment of the streaming show demonstrates it aimed to escalate the fear, offering even more intense scares than Muschietti’s films and establishing a brutal tone for the upcoming episodes.

Story World and Concepts

Set in 1962, this show introduces a new generation of parents and youngsters residing in a apparently peaceful community concealing a sinister core. The town functions through a cruel, recurring cycle—characterized by hostility, discrimination, and otherworldly forces, as a monstrous presence resurfaces each 27-year cycle. Even though the series might sound like it leans too heavily to the movies initially, what distinguishes the digital program is its two-sided viewpoint—told from the perspectives of kids and grown-ups simultaneously. Younger characters are highly exposed to It's terror, but grown-ups aren’t spared dealing with their own nightmares arising from the town's ingrained prejudice and covert otherworldly powers.

Episode 2 airs on October 31 at midnight PT.