HBO renews ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ for a second season set in 1935, delving deeper into Pennywise and the town’s bloody history.
There are still plenty of terrifying stories left to tell in Derry. HBO has officially renewed ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ for a second season, confirming that the prequel inspired by the universe created by Stephen King will continue travelling further into the past to uncover new episodes connected to the terrifying presence that has haunted the town for generations.
After setting its first instalment in 1962, the series will make another significant leap backwards in time. Season 2 of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ will be set in 1935, during the Great Depression, with the Bradley Gang massacre serving as its central event — one of the most violent episodes associated with the town’s disturbing history.
The decision also confirms the distinctive narrative structure developed for the series. Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, who expanded the cinematic universe established in ‘IT’ and ‘IT Chapter Two’ for television, have conceived a story that progressively travels backwards through the different cycles of violence that have shaped Derry.
The first season took place 27 years before the story of the Losers’ Club and introduced a new group of children forced to confront the evil lurking beneath the seemingly peaceful town. One of its biggest attractions was the return of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, establishing a direct connection between the HBO series and the films directed by Muschietti.
Now, the timeline will move back another 27 years to 1935. The new storyline will focus on the Bradley Gang, a group of bank robbers whose arrival in Derry to purchase ammunition ultimately leads to a brutal massacre. The incident will allow the series to explore the connection between the violent episodes running throughout the town’s history and the mysterious entity that, among its many forms, assumes the terrifying appearance of Pennywise.
The first season had already introduced references to the events of 1935, laying the groundwork for the next instalment to examine the massacre in considerably greater detail. The change in period also means that many of the characters audiences have come to know could make way for an entirely new group.
For the moment, HBO has not announced the cast for Season 2, leaving questions over which actors might return and how any potential appearances could work. The supernatural nature of the story provides several possibilities, particularly following the revelations introduced in the first-season finale.
The creators have also suggested that earlier generations of families connected to characters already familiar to audiences could become part of the story. This approach would allow the different periods of Derry’s history to be linked through family trees while demonstrating how IT’s influence has stretched across generations.
Creative continuity will be maintained by Brad Caleb Kane, who will return for the second season and take over as sole showrunner. Kane previously worked alongside Jason Fuchs, while Andy and Barbara Muschietti will remain involved in the development of the series.
However, 1935 may not be the final destination for ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. The team behind the series has already discussed a more ambitious structure that could see the story continue moving backwards through the terrifying history of Stephen King’s fictional town.
