It: Welcome to Derry Releases Second Sooner Than Planned on HBO Max
Audiences are thrilled for the chilling show It: Welcome to Derry, already garnering praise and incorporating references from the broader King universe. Following the premiere, HBO announced that the next chapter will premiere ahead of schedule, timed perfectly for the spookiest night.
Schedule Change Information
Kicking off on October 31 at 12 a.m. Pacific Time, episode two of Welcome to Derry will launch on HBO's online platform, prior to its Sunday HBO premiere. Future chapters of the eight-episode season will continue to air on Sunday nights on the network and streaming service, leading up to the final episode on December 14th.
Storyline Summary
Set in the world of King's It, Welcome to Derry draws from the classic book while enlarging the universe brought to life by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the two It films. The first It movie highlighted young characters facing supernatural evils, making it appropriate that the series upholds that legacy. Yet, the first installment of the HBO series proves it aimed to raise the stakes, delivering more frightening moments than the movies and setting a brutal tone for the rest of the season.
Premise and Ideas
Located in the early '60s, the program features a different group of parents and youngsters inhabiting a apparently peaceful community concealing a dark secret. This place operates on a cruel, recurring cycle—characterized by aggression, prejudice, and paranormal events, as a evil entity resurfaces each 27-year cycle. While the series might seem like it leans too heavily to the films on the surface, what differentiates the digital program is its two-sided viewpoint—unfolding through the viewpoints of young and old at the same time. Younger characters remain highly exposed to It's terror, but older characters don't escape facing their individual fears arising from the town's ingrained prejudice and hidden paranormal elements.
The series premieres on Halloween at midnight PT.
