It: Welcome to Derry Draws 5.7M Viewers, Ranks Third on HBO Max

The HBO series "It: Welcome to Derry," a prequel to the Stephen King novel "It" and the film adaptations, premiered to strong viewership, garnering 5.7 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max within its first three days. This places the show as the third most-watched series debut in HBO Max history, trailing only "House of the Dragon" and "The Last of Us." The series, developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs, continues the story of the child-hunting clown Pennywise, with Bill Skarsgård reprising the role. To celebrate Halloween, the second episode was released early on HBO Max on October 31 and aired on HBO on November 2, with new episodes scheduled weekly until the season finale on December 14. Showrunners designed the series to keep audiences on edge, emphasizing unpredictability and high stakes. The strong start reflects positive momentum for the horror prequel, which has taken over the Sunday night slot previously held by "Task."