HBO has officially renewed It: Welcome to Derry Season 2, bringing the horror series back for a new chapter set in 1935. The story will focus on the Bradley Gang massacre during the Great Depression. Brad Caleb Kane will serve as sole showrunner.
Pennywise will remain important to the story, but Bill Skarsgård’s return is not confirmed. HBO has also not announced a release date or full cast yet.
What Does the It: Welcome to Derry Season 2 Renewal Confirm?
Image © 2025 HBO
HBO has officially ordered It: Welcome to Derry Season 2, sending the prequel series further into the town’s violent past. The drama centers around the Bradley Gang Massacre, which takes place between 1962 and 1935 in the second season.
Andy and Barbara Muschietti will still be on the Warner Bros. creative team, but Brad Caleb Kane will be in charge of the show by himself.
Why Did HBO Wait to Renew It: Welcome to Derry Season 2?
It had been more than eight months since the December 14, 2025, finale of the first season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the delay was due to the work that had to be done to rebuild the show around a different time period. However, work on the new season had already begun before HBO made the news of Derry’s renewal official.
- Development was underway: Variety reported that Andy Muschietti said a writers’ room was already open before the public renewal, showing that the wait did not mean work had stopped.
- Leadership changed: Brad Caleb Kane now serves as sole showrunner after sharing duties with Jason Fuchs during the first season.
- HBO backed the direction: Sarah Aubrey of HBO Max said the creators would “break new ground” while deepening the terror, mystery, and Pennywise lore. Andy and Barbara Muschietti called exploring Stephen King’s world “an absolute privilege.”
Why Is Season 2 Going Back to 1935?
It: Welcome to Derry is told backwards through major events in Derry, Maine. Season 2 moves into the Great Depression, where the Bradley Gang, a group of bank robbers, stops in town for ammunition and encounters supernatural horror. The event comes from the IT novel and expands Stephen King material that the feature films did not fully explore.
- Depression-era setting: Andy Muschietti told Variety to expect “depression-era hustling” as characters try to survive difficult circumstances. He said the story also confronts the social, cultural, and “horrible things” happening during the era.
- A darker town: Muschietti described 1935 Derry as almost a graveyard or carcass, with poverty shaping everyday life. Some kids will be orphans or runaways, but hope remains important.
- A larger plan: The planned chronology runs from the 1962 Black Spot story to the 1935 massacre and potentially the 1908 Easter egg hunt explosion. That final chapter remains a plan, not an HBO renewal.
Will Pennywise and Bill Skarsgård Return in Season 2?
Pennywise remains important to It: Welcome to Derry Season 2, but Bill Skarsgård has not been officially confirmed to return. HBO has not announced the full cast. That means reports expecting Skarsgård to play the dancing clown again should be treated as predictions rather than confirmed casting.
- Pennywise lore continues: Barbara Muschietti told Entertainment Weekly that the origins of Bob Gray and Pennywise’s clown form will factor into the second season. She also said 1935 is “ripe for Pennywise to come back and create havoc.”
- Time works differently: Andy Muschietti told TVLine that Pennywise does not experience time in a linear way and could potentially rewrite history, creating connections across episodes, movies, and different periods.
- Casting remains open: Connections involving Leroy Hanlon, the family tree, the Losers Club, or a young boy from another generation should not be assumed. Horror fans must wait for HBO or Warner Bros. to confirm who appears when the season reaches streaming.
HBO says that the show was one of the four best series premieres ever on HBO Max around the world. The season has not been given a release date, air window, production schedule, or premiere date.
Final Thoughts
It: Welcome to Derry will have a second season, and HBO will move the story back to 1935. The main point for fans is, of course, that many things are still unknown. We will all have to wait for news about casting, filming, and the release. To read the rest of the news, go to HBO as it comes out.
FAQs
Yes. HBO has officially renewed Welcome to Derry for Season 2, so fans can rest assured that another chapter is coming.
Yes. It: Welcome to Derry Season 2 is confirmed, with Brad Caleb Kane taking over as sole showrunner after working as co-showrunner during the first season.
No. HBO has not announced a release date or window, although the first season premiered in October 2025.
No filming has been confirmed. A writers’ room was already working on the story before the renewal, but that does not mean Season 2 has been filmed.
The story moves to 1935 and follows the Bradley Gang massacre, not a new house-centered mystery. Everybody can visit HBO for official updates as the course of production becomes clearer.