HBO has officially renewed its Stephen King prequel series, ‘It: Welcome to Derry,’ for a second season. The upcoming season is set to delve further into the cursed town's history, with a particular focus on the 1935 massacre of the Bradley Gang during the Great Depression.
Season 1 of ‘Welcome to Derry,’ which premiered last year, explored the town in 1962, 27 years before the events of the first ‘It’ film. It followed a new group of children investigating local disappearances while key characters like Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), Charlotte Hanlon (Taylour Paige), and Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) became entangled with a military effort to understand and potentially weaponize the supernatural entity known as Pennywise, reprised by Bill Skarsgård. The series utilized its extended runtime to expand on both the younger characters and the town's descent under Pennywise's influence, offering a deeper look than the films allowed.
Polygon's review of the first season described ‘Welcome to Derry’ as “the best, scariest It story yet,” commending its expanded exploration of Derry, its ensemble cast, and its successful recapturing of the coming-of-age narrative found in the original films and ‘Stranger Things.’
The forthcoming second season will shift its focus back another 27 years, to 1935. According to HBO, the narrative will center on the violent massacre of the Bradley Gang. This incident is a notable event from Stephen King's original ‘It’ novel, cited as one of several historical atrocities linked to Pennywise’s recurring appearances in Derry. The gang's presence was hinted at in the first season through its opening credits and a vintage car discovered by Hallorann.
While HBO has not yet announced casting for the new season, including whether Bill Skarsgård will return as Pennywise, the central role of the entity is expected. A release date for ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ season 2 has not been announced.