Welcome to Derry gets second season

HBO has renewed “It: Welcome to Derry” for a second season, expanding the story of Stephen King’s horror universe beyond its first instalment.

The series premiered on HBO Max on October 26, 2025, and serves as a prequel to the two-part “It” film reboot released in 2017 and 2019. Based on King’s 1986 novel “It”, the show explores earlier encounters between the residents of the fictional town of Derry, Maine, and the shape-shifting entity known as Pennywise.

The first season was primarily set in 1962 and followed the town’s earlier experiences with the supernatural threat. The second season will move further back in time, taking place in 1935 during the Great Depression.

According to the season two logline, the story will centre on the Bradley Gang, a group of bank robbers who arrive in Derry to purchase ammunition and encounter an unimaginable horror. The Bradley Gang Massacre is one of the interludes featured in King’s original novel.

The series was developed for television by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, who were also involved with the recent “It” films. Brad Caleb Kane, who served as co-showrunner for the first season alongside Fuchs, will become the sole showrunner for season two.

Casting details for the second season have not yet been announced. The first season featured Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe and Rudy Mancuso, with Bill Skarsgård returning as Pennywise.

Andy Muschietti directed multiple episodes of the first season and executive produces the series through his Double Dream production company with Barbara Muschietti, Kane, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Jamie Travis and Dhana Gilbert. The series is produced by HBO and Warner Bros Television. 

Earlier this month, Muschietti revealed that a writers’ room for the second season had already opened despite the renewal not being formally announced at the time.

Discussing the new season’s setting, Muschietti said the story would explore the struggles of characters living through the Great Depression, along with the social and cultural realities of the period.

“There’s gonna be a lot of that depression-era hustling in the air in our characters. Everybody’s trying to get by and survive the circumstances. They are gonna do crazy things,” Muschietti told Variety.

He added that the difficult social conditions of the era would remain central to the story.