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Excitement is building for the horror series the Derry series, already receiving positive feedback and incorporating elements from the broader King universe. Following the premiere, the network has revealed that the second installment will premiere ahead of schedule, released fittingly for the spookiest night.

Premiere Shift Particulars

Beginning on the last day of October at 3 a.m. EST, the next part of It: Welcome to Derry will make its debut on HBO's online platform, prior to its traditional TV airing. The remaining installments of the eight-episode season will premiere on Sundays on both HBO and its streaming arm, leading up to the season finale on December 14th.

Series Overview

Taking place within the Derry mythology, the new series is inspired by King’s iconic novel while building upon the universe brought to life by director Andy Muschietti in the two It films. The original It focused on adolescents facing terrifying threats, thus it's suitable that the prequel upholds that legacy. However, the premiere episode of the HBO series demonstrates it intended to raise the stakes, providing even more intense scares than the movies and setting a dark atmosphere for what's to come.

Setting and Themes

Taking place in the 1960s, the series introduces a different group of grown-ups and kids living in a apparently peaceful community masking a dark secret. The town functions through a cruel, recurring cycle—defined by hostility, discrimination, and otherworldly forces, as a monstrous presence returns each 27-year cycle. Even though It: Welcome to Derry might seem like it strays too near to the movies on the surface, what distinguishes the HBO Max series is its parallel storytelling—unfolding through the eyes of both children and adults simultaneously. The kids stay especially susceptible to It's terror, but the adults also face confronting their own nightmares stemming from local discrimination and covert otherworldly powers.

The series airs on October 31 at midnight PT.