HBO Max released a 30-minute prequel episode titled 'A Story of Derry' on Halloween, set centuries before the main series and focusing on the Shokopiwah tribe. The episode, directed by Tazbah Chavez and written by Cherie Dimaline and Jasmyne Flournoy, expands on a flashback from Season 1, Episode 4.
The episode, which includes Zahn McClarnon as a stranger in the woods, is part of HBO Max's expansion of the 'It' universe. HBO confirmed Season 2 will begin filming in 2027, set in 1935, with showrunner Brad Caleb Kane describing it as a 'very different set of circumstances.'