Pennywise Returns: IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 1 Release Date and Time
You’ll float too—so when and where does the terror surface next?
Pennywise is clocking back in. HBO is rolling out It: Welcome to Derry, a prequel series that jumps back decades before the Losers Club and digs into where this whole nightmare started. Yes, Bill Skarsgard is back in clown paint. Because of course he is.
What this show actually is
It: Welcome to Derry is set in 1962 and centers on the grandfather of Mike Hanlon — the future Derry historian who keeps the receipts on Pennywise in the movies. The show ties into Mike's research timeline and drops us into the past to trace how that evil presence took root. If you needed a straight line from Stephen King's mythology to the Muschietti films, this is it.
Speaking of: Andy and Barbara Muschietti, the director-producer duo behind the two IT movies, are steering this one too. So the tone, the look, the dread — you should recognize the vibe immediately.
Also worth repeating: Bill Skarsgard returns as Pennywise, which is the casting news most people were waiting on anyway.
When does episode 1 drop?
In the US, episode 1 airs on HBO on Sunday, October 26 at 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 AM ET and hits HBO Max at the same time. That '9:00 AM ET' paired with '6:00 PM PT' looks like a typo — 6 PM PT converts to 9 PM ET — but I am giving you the times exactly as listed and calling out the mismatch so no one misses it.
In the UK, the premiere goes live Monday, October 27 on Sky and NOW at 2:00 AM GMT, with another airing later that night at 9:00 PM GMT.
The weekly rollout
New episodes land Sundays starting October 26, with the season wrapping December 14. Here is the full date lineup for season 1:
- It: Welcome to Derry episode 1: October 26, 2025
- It: Welcome to Derry episode 2: November 2, 2025
- It: Welcome to Derry episode 3: November 9, 2025
- It: Welcome to Derry episode 4: November 16, 2025
- It: Welcome to Derry episode 5: November 23, 2025
- It: Welcome to Derry episode 6: November 30, 2025
- It: Welcome to Derry episode 7: December 7, 2025
- It: Welcome to Derry episode 8: December 14, 2025
Where to watch
US: New episodes air on HBO and stream on HBO Max at the same time, so if you are subscribed you can watch as they premiere.
UK: Episodes are on Sky and stream on NOW.
How many episodes?
Season 1 is eight episodes. Clean, focused, and wrapped before the holidays.
Quick character/canon notes
For continuity nerds: the series pivots around Mike Hanlon's family line. In the films, Mike is played by Chosen Jacobs in It and Isaiah Mustafa in It: Chapter 2. The show's focus on his grandfather ties directly into the lore Mike obsessively compiles about Derry.