The first season of It: Welcome to Derry, the HBO Max adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel, is concluding. The series has successfully brought Pennywise, the terrifying clown central to King’s work, to a new audience through an episodic format. Unlike previous adaptations, Welcome to Derry sets its story in 1962, focusing on how the town of Derry, Maine, struggles with the cyclical terror that haunts it.
Why this matters: King’s novel It explores deep-seated fears and societal decay. The 27-year cycle of Pennywise’s return symbolizes how unresolved trauma can resurface repeatedly in communities. The show’s timeline is significant: by going back in time, it establishes a pattern of horror that predates modern anxieties.
The series, co-created by Andy and Barbara Muschietti (who previously directed the 2017 It films) and Jason Fuchs, follows a planned three-season arc. Each season will move further into Derry’s past, exploring the origins of the evil that plagues the town in 1935 and 1908. Bill Skarsgård reprises his acclaimed role as Pennywise, alongside a cast including Jovan Adepo, Clara Stack, and James Remar.
Here’s the release schedule for the final episode:
- Episode 8, “Winter Fire,” premieres on Sunday, December 14th, on both HBO Max and HBO.
- The episode airs at 9 p.m. PT/ET.
- Full episodic schedule:
- Episode 1: The Pilot – October 26
- Episode 2: The Thing in the Dark – November 2
- Episode 3: Now You See It – November 9
- Episode 4: The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet’s Function – November 16
- Episode 5: Neibolt Street – November 23
- Episode 6: In the Name of the Father – November 30
- Episode 7: The Black Spot – December 7
- Episode 8: Winter Fire – December 14
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It: Welcome to Derry presents a fresh take on King’s horror universe. The series builds suspense not just through Pennywise’s scares, but through the slow unraveling of a town’s hidden darkness.
