Audiences are thrilled for the Stephen King adaptation the Derry series, already garnering praise and drawing from themes from additional King stories. Now, the network announced that the second installment will debut sooner than expected, released fittingly for the spookiest night.
Kicking off on the last day of October at 12 a.m. Pacific Time, episode two of It: Welcome to Derry will make its debut on HBO Max, before its traditional TV airing. Future chapters of the eight-episode season will continue to air on Sundays on the network and streaming service, building toward the final episode on Sunday, December 14.
Set in the Derry mythology, the new series draws from the original story while enlarging the universe realized by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the recent movie adaptations. The original It focused on young characters confronting supernatural evils, so it’s fitting that the series continues that tradition. Yet, the premiere episode of the streaming show proves it set out to increase the tension, delivering more frightening moments than Muschietti’s films and establishing a dark atmosphere for the upcoming episodes.
Set in 1962, the series introduces a new generation of parents and youngsters living in a seemingly idyllic town hiding a sinister core. This place follows a vicious, repeating pattern—characterized by aggression, prejudice, and paranormal events, as a monstrous presence returns once every three decades. Although Welcome to Derry might seem like it skews too close to the movies on the surface, what differentiates the digital program is its parallel storytelling—narrated via the eyes of both children and adults simultaneously. Children remain especially susceptible to the monster's horror, but grown-ups aren’t spared facing their own nightmares stemming from local discrimination and lurking supernatural forces.
Episode 2 airs on October 31 at 3 a.m. EST.
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Casey Cox
Casey Cox