HBO Max Drops Surprise 'It: Welcome to Derry' Halloween Special Set Centuries Before Pennywise
HBO Max handed horror fans a Halloween ambush: at midnight local time on October 31, a never-announced 30-minute special of 'IT: Welcome to Derry,' titled 'A Story of Derry,' appeared on the platform with zero advance promotion.
Rather than continuing Season 1, the special travels back centuries before Pennywise: three youngsters venture into the Western Wood outside Derry and encounter the ancient evil that haunts the town. It expands an origin flashback only glimpsed in Episode 4 of the first season. Kiawentiio, of the live-action 'Avatar: The Last Airbender,' stars as Necani, with a surprise appearance by 'Dark Winds' actor Zahn McClarnon. Bill Skarsgård, who plays Pennywise in the main series, does not appear.
The special was directed by Tazbah Chavez and written by Cherie Dimaline and Jasmyne Flournoy. HBO Max's official account confirmed the drop afterward, describing the episode as a never-before-seen special exploring the origins of IT in Derry.
'Welcome to Derry,' based on Stephen King's 'It,' is a prequel to the two hit films. Season 1 premiered in October 2025, set in 1962, and ranked among HBO Max's biggest series launches ever. HBO renewed the show for a second season this August; the new season jumps back to 1935, during the Great Depression, and centers on the Bradley Gang, though no premiere date has been announced.
It is the second Halloween in a row that HBO has sprung a surprise on the show's fans: on Halloween 2025, Episode 2 of the first season was released two days early.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 《小丑回魂》原著作者斯蒂芬·金资料照。图片来源：Kevin Payravi／Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 4.0）
