‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Renewed for Season 2 at HBO
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
HBO has renewed "It: Welcome to Derry" for a second season, confirming that the Stephen King prequel series will continue after its first-season debut in October 2025. The show, a prequel to the 2017 and 2019 "It" film reboot, follows earlier encounters between the residents of Derry, Maine, and the shape-shifting evil clown Pennywise, and the renewal reflects HBO's confidence in the franchise's expansion beyond the films.
Season one was largely set in 1962, while season two will jump back further to 1935 during the Great Depression, centring on the bloody massacre of the Bradley Gang, a group of bank robbers who meet a horrifying fate in Derry, drawn from an interlude in King's original novel. Brad Caleb Kane, previously co-showrunner alongside Jason Fuchs, will take sole charge as showrunner, while Andy and Barbara Muschietti continue as executive producers; casting for the new season has not yet been announced, though Bill Skarsgård played Pennywise in season one. Muschietti has described a bleaker, more depleted vision of Derry for the new instalment and has previously outlined plans for a third season covering the novel's 1908-set interlude.
- HBO renews "It: Welcome to Derry" for a second season.
- Season two moves to 1935, depicting the Bradley Gang massacre.
- Brad Caleb Kane becomes sole showrunner; casting not yet revealed.
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Britain's Stephen King fandom aside, here's the primer:
"It: Welcome to Derry" is an HBO horror series that acts as a prequel to the recent "It" films, which were themselves based on Stephen King's novel about a shape-shifting monster, most often appearing as the clown Pennywise, that terrorises the town of Derry, Maine. The TV series explores earlier chapters in that town's history, with its first season, which aired from October 2025, largely set in 1962. Bill Skarsgård, who played Pennywise in the films, took on the role again for the show.
The series is overseen by executive producers Andy and Barbara Muschietti, who also directed the "It" films, alongside showrunners who handle the day-to-day writing and production. King's original novel is structured around several different time periods in Derry's past, giving the show a ready-made framework to jump between different eras in future seasons.
More coverage
- The Hollywood Reporter — ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Finally Renewed for Season 2, and It’s Going Back to 1935
- Deadline — ‘It: Welcome To Derry’ Renewed For Season 2 By HBO