HBO Max has officially renewed its horror prequel series IT: Welcome to Derry for a second season set in 1935.
The official confirmation arrived alongside a short teaser trailer following weeks of rumors and early details shared by the show's creative team regarding the future of the storyline.
The renewal comes after a triumphant debut season that quickly established itself as a major hit for the streaming platform, becoming one of the top four series premieres in HBO Max history worldwide.
Co-creators and executive producers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti will return to expand the haunting mythology of Derry with a brand new chapter taking audiences back nearly a century.
The Bradley Gang Massacre
The second season will jump back in time from the events of the first installment, centering its narrative on one of the darkest periods in Derry's history during 1935, at the height of the Great Depression.
Setting the storyline in 1935 places the narrative amidst the widespread economic hardship of the era, providing a grim backdrop for the town's historical encounter with supernatural horror.
According to the premise, the central storyline will focus on the infamous Bradley Gang, a group of bank robbers who arrive in Derry planning only to purchase ammunition. What should have been a routine stop quickly devolves into a confrontation with an unimaginable horror lurking within the town.
The new storyline allows the series to explore the deeper past of Derry and the recurring presence of Pennywise. This narrative further expands the broader mythology introduced in the original films starring Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård.
Stephen King Universe and Production Team
The prequel series remains rooted in the fictional horror universe created by American author Stephen King in his 1986 bestseller IT. In King's lore, the fictional town of Derry, Maine, is plagued by an ancient, shape-shifting entity that awakens approximately every 27 years to feed on human terror, often appearing as Pennywise the Dancing Clown before returning to hibernation.
The show builds directly upon the cinematic vision developed by Andy Muschietti in his two-part film adaptation, IT and IT Chapter Two. Argentine director Muschietti and his sister, producing partner Barbara Muschietti, previously led the two films to global box office success, grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide for Warner Bros. Pictures.
Network executives expressed strong enthusiasm for continuing the franchise across future seasons. Sarah Aubrey, head of original programming at HBO Max, said the platform was thrilled to return to the unsettling world of Derry, promising new paths to delve into the terror, mystery, and unforgettable mythology of Pennywise.
Clancy Collins White, representing producer Warner Bros. Television, similarly highlighted that the upcoming chapter will take viewers back to the 1930s for the next phase of the story.
Cast and Release Schedule
HBO Max has not yet confirmed the cast lineup for the second season or announced a concrete release date. While a brief trailer accompanied the renewal announcement, the new episodes are not expected to arrive on the platform anytime soon.
