Stephen King’s Hit Horror TV Series Officially Returning to HBO Max
HBO has renewed *It: Welcome to Derry* for a second season, extending the Stephen King horror story’s exploration of the cursed Maine town. The renewal follows a strong debut, with the series ranking among HBO Max’s four biggest global series launches.
Season 1 is set in 1962 and follows children investigating disappearances alongside adults caught up in a military effort to understand the supernatural force beneath Derry. The next season will move back 27 years to 1935, during the Great Depression, and centre on the Bradley Gang massacre, an event linked to Pennywise in King’s novel. HBO has not announced the new season’s cast, whether Bill Skarsgård will return, or a release date.
In short
- HBO has renewed *It: Welcome to Derry* for season two.
- The story will move back to 1935.
- The Bradley Gang massacre will be central.
Explained simply
Stephen King’s It is a horror story set in Derry, a fictional town in Maine where children face a recurring supernatural threat. Pennywise, a shape-shifting creature often appearing as a clown, is linked to disappearances and violence in the town.
Welcome to Derry is a television prequel to the It films, exploring the town’s history before the events they depict. Its story draws on King’s novel, which presents Derry as a place repeatedly marked by tragedy, affecting both children and adults.
The Bradley Gang massacre, which features in the novel, took place during the Great Depression and is associated with Pennywise. The series uses different periods in Derry’s past to show how the town’s history and the creature’s presence are connected.