HBO has officially greenlit a second season of its Stephen King horror series, It: Welcome to Derry. The renewal follows a successful first season that has become one of HBO Max’s top global series debuts.
First premiering last year, It: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to Andy Muschietti’s It films, exploring the origins of the supernatural entity known as Pennywise and the cursed town of Derry, Maine. The first season, set in 1962, focused on a new group of children investigating local horrors and the involvement of military figures attempting to understand and weaponize the town’s dark force. Bill Skarsgård reprised his role as Pennywise in the inaugural season.
Polygon’s review of the first season praised the series for its expanded exploration of Derry, its ensemble cast, and its effective use of an episodic format that allowed for deeper storytelling than the films. The series was also noted for recapturing a coming-of-age dynamic reminiscent of early Stranger Things.
The second season of It: Welcome to Derry will shift its setting back another 27 years to 1935, during the Great Depression. According to HBO, this new season will center on the infamous massacre of the Bradley Gang. This historical event, where a group of bank robbers met a grim fate in Derry while seeking ammunition, is a significant incident from Stephen King’s original It novel.
The Bradley Gang massacre was previously hinted at in the first season's opening credits and through a vintage car connected to the criminals discovered by Dick Hallorann. Casting details for the second season, including Skarsgård’s potential return as Pennywise, have not yet been announced. However, the show’s premise ensures that Pennywise will remain a central figure.
An official release date for It: Welcome to Derry season 2 has not been disclosed by HBO.