As we first reported on FearHQ.com, HBO has released a new "Weeks Ahead" trailer for It: Welcome to Derry, and if the shocking events of last night's premiere left you reeling, then you'll need to brace yourselves for what's to come.
With Pennywise the Clown terrorising the town, Derry is spiralling out of control and deeper into madness. This sneak peek strongly suggests that the town's Native Americans discovered a way to trap "It" there since the monster first arrived on Earth, while all signs indicate that the military wants to capture the entity.
There will also be less time than expected to wait for "The Thing in the Dark," as HBO has confirmed that the second episode of It: Welcome to Derry will debut early on HBO Max in celebration of Halloween, beginning Friday, October 31 at 12:00 am PT/3:00 am ET. The episode will also air on HBO on Sunday, November 2, at 9:00 pm ET/PT.
Talking to Entertainment Weekly about that gruesome opener, showrunner Jason Fuchs teased, "The entire story of the season is set in motion by what happens at the end of episode 1, this massacre of the Capitol Theater. You'll see in episode 2 the way the aftershocks of that play out."
"We know that we're telling, in some ways, a story that is familiar," he continued. "We're going back to a town people have seen, we're going back to a character, Pennywise, that people are now familiar with over the course of two films, and we're gonna have kids in danger."
"But the question was, 'How do you then still surprise the audience? How do you communicate that from the very beginning of the season? How do you really pull the rug out from under the audience and go, All bets are off, the rules don't apply, anything is possible?'" Fuchs concluded.
Check out this new trailer for It: Welcome to Derry below, and stay tuned to FearHQ.com on Friday for our breakdown of the second episode's biggest revelations.
Set in the world of Stephen King's It universe, It: Welcome to Derry is based on King's It novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films It and It Chapter Two.
The cast is led by Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso, and Bill Skarsgård.
The series, from Warner Bros. Television and developed for television by filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti (It, The Flash) and Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman), will debut on HBO and also be available to stream on HBO Max. Muschietti will direct four episodes of the nine-episode series.
The first episode of It: Welcome to Derry is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes released weekly leading up to the season finale on December 14.