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Excitement is building for the Stephen King adaptation Welcome to Derry, that's been receiving positive feedback and drawing from themes from other Stephen King works. Just one day after launch, the broadcaster declared that the next chapter will arrive early, released fittingly for Halloween.

Early Release Particulars

Starting on Halloween night at midnight PT, the next part of Welcome to Derry will make its debut on HBO Max, before its Sunday HBO premiere. Subsequent episodes of the eight-episode season will be released on Sunday nights on the network and streaming service, leading up to the concluding chapter on the 14th of December.

Series Overview

Taking place within Stephen King’s It universe, Welcome to Derry is inspired by King’s iconic novel while building upon the universe brought to life by director Andy Muschietti in the recent movie adaptations. It Chapter One highlighted adolescents facing supernatural evils, so it’s fitting that the prequel upholds that legacy. However, the first installment of the HBO series shows it set out to increase the tension, providing more frightening moments than the cinematic versions and creating a dark atmosphere for the upcoming episodes.

Story World and Concepts

Set in 1962, the series presents a new generation of adults and children living in a apparently peaceful community hiding a sinister core. This place follows a vicious, repeating pattern—characterized by aggression, prejudice, and paranormal events, as a evil entity returns every 27 years. Even though the series might sound like it leans too heavily to the films at first, what sets apart the HBO Max series is its parallel storytelling—narrated via the perspectives of kids and grown-ups at the same time. Younger characters remain especially susceptible to It's terror, but older characters also face dealing with their individual fears born from Derry’s deep-seated bigotry and covert otherworldly powers.

Episode 2 airs on the 31st of October at 12 a.m. Pacific Time.