IT: WELCOME TO DERRY Sets October Premiere on HBO Max

HBO has officially set the premiere date for It: Welcome to Derry, the upcoming horror prequel series expanding the terrifying universe of Stephen King's It. The nine-episode series will debut October 26 on HBO and stream on HBO Max.

Set decades before the events of the It films, It: Welcome to Derry dives into the eerie origins of Pennywise the Clown. Yes, Bill Skarsgård is back to reprise his chilling role as the iconic shape-shifting entity.

The synopsis reads: “Set in the world of Stephen King’s It universe, the show is based on King’s It novel. It expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films It and It Chapter Two.”

The prequel is set in 1962 and takes a deep dive into the dark history of Derry, weaving together several of the disturbing interludes from King's novel.

“It’s a story that’s based on the interludes of the book,” Muschietti previously shared. “They talk about catastrophic events from the past, like the fire in the Black Spot, the massacre of the Bradley Gang… and the explosion of the Kitchener Ironworks.”

Along with Skarsgård, the cast includes Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Kimberly Norris Guerrero, Dorian Grey, Thomas Mitchell, Peter Outerbridge, Joshua Odjick, and Rudy Mancuso.

It: Welcome to Derry was created by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, who also serve as executive producers alongside Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane, who are handling showrunner duties.

Andy Muschietti, after directing both It films, also helmed multiple episodes of the series.

This prequel looks like it’ll deliver a twisted and terrifying dive into Derry’s haunted past, revealing just how long Pennywise has been feeding on the town’s fear. With Halloween right around the corner, the timing is perfect.