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HBO's ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ finally locks in release date — and it’s just in time for Halloween

Bill Skarsgård is back as Pennywise and fans of the franchise can expect weekly episodes leading up to Halloween.

HBO has finally revealed the release date of its upcoming series, 'It: Welcome to Derry.' For the unversed, let us share with you that HBO's forthcoming horror series is based on Stephen King's 1986 novel 'It.' Apart from this, it also serves as a prequel to films like 'It' and 'It Chapter Two', which were released in 2017 and 2019, respectively. On September 2, 2025, HBO Max made the big announcement regarding the release of 'It: Welcome to Derry' by sharing a post on their official X account. The caption of the post read, "Everyone’s dying to see IT. #ITWelcomeToDerry premieres October 26 on HBO Max."

Following that, the remaining nine episodes of the supernatural horror television series will be released weekly. According to a report by ScreenRant, the show will also premiere simultaneously on HBO's cable channel as well as the HBO Max streaming service. The fans of the famous franchise will have to wait some more time to watch the first episode of the highly anticipated series 'It: Welcome to Derry.' 

Since the time, HBO Max dropped the premiere date of 'It: Welcome to Derry,' the fans have expressed their excitement about the show on social media platforms. One social media user took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote, "Got damn that’s a long ass wait I’ve been waiting since been waiting since been waiting." Another user went on to say, "I'm so excited to see that lovable dancing clown once again." Followed by a third user who penned, "Woohoo come on October 26th!"

'It: Welcome to Derry, ' which has been developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs, will revolve around the lives of a different group of kids taking on Pennywise the Clown, nearly 27 years before The Losers Club fought the villain as children in the films. After 'It Chapter Two' was released, many Steven King fans believed that it was the last time they were going to see Pennywise on the screen. Now, Bill Skarsgård will be seen reprising his role as Pennywise the Clown in 'It: Welcome to Derry.' Along with Skarsgård, the upcoming series will also feature Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, and Stephen Rider in significant roles. 

During his latest interview with TV Insider, Muschietti candidly spoke about his forthcoming series 'It: Welcome to Derry' and stated how it will go beyond what has been shown in the previous 'It' projects. “The purpose of the show, among others, is to open a window to the other side… and give the audience the feeling that everything they know about the book and stories and movies is just the tip of the iceberg,” Muschietti told the media outlet. 

Elsewhere in the interview, Muschietti also mentioned that the prequel seems to be going beyond a human story, and it takes on a more mystical route to the origins of “the eater of worlds.” Then, Muschietti said, “Of course, being It, we are seeing all this from the perspective of humans, mostly. In this series, there will be more than speculation. We’re gonna have that and give the audience glimpses of the other side.”