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Excitement is building for the chilling show the Derry series, which is receiving positive feedback and weaving in references from the broader King universe. Now, the network declared that the next chapter will premiere ahead of schedule, timed perfectly for the spookiest night.

Schedule Change Particulars

Kicking off on the last day of October at midnight PT, the next part of It: Welcome to Derry will launch on HBO's online platform, before its linear broadcast. The remaining installments of the show's first season will be released on the weekend on HBO and HBO Max, culminating in the final episode on Sunday, December 14.

Show Background

Based in Stephen King’s It universe, the new series is inspired by King’s iconic novel while building upon the setting brought to life by the It movie director in the recent movie adaptations. The original It highlighted young characters facing supernatural evils, making it appropriate that the prequel upholds that legacy. However, the first installment of the streaming show proves it aimed to increase the tension, offering more frightening moments than the cinematic versions and setting a dark atmosphere for the rest of the season.

Setting and Themes

Located in the early '60s, the series introduces a different group of grown-ups and kids residing in a apparently peaceful community masking a sinister core. The town functions through a vicious, repeating pattern—defined by hostility, discrimination, and otherworldly forces, as a evil entity reappears once every three decades. While Welcome to Derry might sound like it strays too near to the movies at first, what differentiates the streaming show is its two-sided viewpoint—unfolding through the viewpoints of young and old concurrently. Younger characters stay especially susceptible to the monster's horror, but the adults aren’t spared dealing with their individual fears born from local discrimination and hidden paranormal elements.

Episode 2 airs on Halloween at 12 a.m. Pacific Time.