IT: Welcome to Derry Just Dropped a Surprise Halloween Episode
No clown required.
HBO Max had a treat waiting for IT fans when they woke up today. A surprise IT: Welcome to Derry special called "A Story of Derry" went live at midnight on Halloween with no warning beforehand, and the roughly 30-minute episode is streaming now (TheWrap).
The twist is that this one goes way back. The special is set hundreds of years before Pennywise ever showed up in his clown suit (TheWrap). (So technically, it's the least clowny episode of the show.)
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What is A Story of Derry about?
HBO's official description says "three youngsters venture into the Western Wood," where they run into "a terrifying ancient spirit" (TheWrap). The episode opens with a title card that calls it a story the town doesn't usually teach (Comic Book Club).
It's also meant to fill in some lore from Season 1. According to Comic Book Club, the special takes place before the events of Episode 4 and helps explain why IT can't leave Derry. Stephen King fans will want to watch closely, because it pulls in some deep pieces of his wider universe that we won't spoil here.
Who made the special?
Tazbah Chavez directed the episode, and Cherie DiMaline and Jasmyne Flournoy wrote it (Comic Book Club). The cast includes Kimberly Guerrero, Kiawentiio, Morningstar Angeline, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Michael Podemski-Bedard, Thosh Collins and Zahn McClarnon. Bill Skarsgård doesn't appear, since the story takes place long before Pennywise.
When does Season 2 come out?
HBO hasn't given a date yet, but the show was renewed a few weeks ago, and Season 2 jumps to 1935, during the Great Depression (TheWrap). It will follow the Bradley Gang, a crew of bank robbers who stop in Derry for ammunition and run straight into the horror. Brad Caleb Kane is the sole showrunner, and Andy and Barbara Muschietti, who made the IT movies, are still executive producers.
Should you watch it tonight?
My read is yes, especially if you finished Season 1 and wanted more. A 30-minute special is easy to fit in between trick-or-treaters, and it's a clever way to keep fans hooked while Season 2 is in the works. Season 1 also ranks among the top four series premieres in HBO Max history worldwide (TheWrap), so HBO clearly knows people are hungry for more Derry, and that's a good sign for Season 2.
If you want the full story first, here's the book that started it all.
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Images are official stills from IT: Welcome to Derry, from HBO.
