The Derry Prequel Series Premieres Second Ahead of Schedule on HBO's Digital Service

Fans are eagerly awaiting for the chilling show Welcome to Derry, that's been garnering praise and weaving in elements from additional King stories. Just one day after launch, the network declared that the next chapter will debut sooner than expected, timed perfectly for Halloween.

Early Release Information

Kicking off on Halloween night at 12 a.m. Pacific Time, the second episode of It: Welcome to Derry will premiere on HBO Max, ahead of its traditional TV airing. The remaining installments of the series run will continue to air on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max, culminating in the concluding chapter on Sunday, December 14.

Storyline Summary

Set in the Derry mythology, It: Welcome to Derry borrows elements from the original story while building upon the universe realized by the It movie director in It and It Chapter Two. The first It movie focused on kids and teens battling terrifying threats, so it’s fitting that this show upholds that legacy. Yet, the first installment of HBO’s Welcome to Derry shows it intended to raise the stakes, providing more frightening moments than the movies and setting a harsh vibe for the upcoming episodes.

Setting and Themes

Set in 1962, the program presents a new generation of parents and youngsters residing in a seemingly idyllic town hiding a sinister core. This place functions through a vicious, repeating pattern—one marked by hostility, discrimination, and otherworldly forces, as a evil entity resurfaces every 27 years. Even though Welcome to Derry might sound like it strays too near to the cinematic adaptations at first, what sets apart the HBO Max series is its two-sided viewpoint—told from the perspectives of kids and grown-ups concurrently. The kids stay highly exposed to the entity's fear, but grown-ups don't escape dealing with their personal demons born from local discrimination and lurking supernatural forces.

Episode 2 debuts on October 31 at midnight PT.