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Excitement is building for the horror series It: Welcome to Derry, already garnering praise and incorporating references from the broader King universe. Following the premiere, the network has revealed that the next chapter will debut sooner than expected, scheduled ideally for Halloween.

Premiere Shift Details

Beginning on October 31 at midnight PT, the second episode of It: Welcome to Derry will make its debut on HBO Max, prior to its linear broadcast. The remaining installments of the eight-episode season will premiere on Sundays on the network and streaming service, culminating in the season finale on Sunday, December 14.

Storyline Summary

Taking place within Stephen King’s It universe, the new series is inspired by the classic book while enlarging the universe brought to life by director Andy Muschietti in the two It films. The first It movie focused on young characters confronting supernatural evils, making it appropriate that the series follows in those footsteps. Nevertheless, the first installment of the HBO series proves it set out to increase the tension, delivering even more intense scares than the movies and setting a brutal tone for the rest of the season.

Setting and Themes

Taking place in the 1960s, the program introduces a different group of parents and youngsters residing in a seemingly idyllic town concealing a dark secret. The town follows a brutal, periodic loop—characterized by aggression, prejudice, and paranormal events, as a terrifying being returns each 27-year cycle. Although It: Welcome to Derry might seem like it strays too near to the films at first, what differentiates the HBO Max series is its parallel storytelling—unfolding through the perspectives of kids and grown-ups concurrently. Children stay particularly vulnerable to the entity's fear, but older characters don't escape facing their personal demons born from the town's ingrained prejudice and hidden paranormal elements.

The series airs on October 31 at 12 a.m. Pacific Time.