IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 ends in a way that not only changes the IT movies, but demands that Season 2 happens. Going into the finale, audiences knew that Pennywise couldn’t be permanently defeated, since Welcome to Derry‘s timeline is 27 years before the first IT movie. However, just about anything else was on the table, and the finale certainly offered up a bloody feast that raises some major questions about the future. Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Welcome to Derry Season 1, Episode 8.
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The end of IT: Welcome to Derry has the remaining members of its version of the Losers Club take on and defeat Pennywise (for now). However, it can be assured that It will be back again, and not just in the 1989 cycle we’ve already seen in the movie. There’s a long, violent history of the entity in Derry, which the finale nods towards as it reveals that Pennywise can see through time. That’s something that’ll likely have major ramifications going forward – or backwards – if Welcome to Derry Season 2 happens.
5) IT: Welcome to Derry Hasn’t Been Renewed For Season 2 (Yet)
At the time of writing, IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 has not been confirmed by HBO. That’s somewhat surprising, as the show had one of the biggest premieres in HBO history, coming in third behind The Last of Us and House of the Dragon. Both of those were swiftly renewed for more, and logic would dictate that the Stephen King prequel would follow suit. That is still the most likely outcome, especially as the creators have spoken about various ideas for the future of the series and an overarching three-season plan, but HBO is not rushing into a decision. With the season wrapped up, hopefully it’ll come sooner rather than later.
4) IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 Will Be Set In 1935
IT: Welcome to Derry takes place in 1962, meaning it cannot move forward in the timeline. It operates in 27-year cycles, which means the next one is IT in 1989, and then IT: Chapter Two‘s setting of 2016. Instead, as the show has been teasing throughout, the plan is for the timeline to move backwards, to the cycle directly preceding this one by another 27 years, which would put it in 1935. Going even further beyond that, Welcome to Derry Season 3 – if it gets that far – will take place in 1908, the year It encountered Bob Gray and first took the form of Pennywise.
3) IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2’s Story
One of the key parts of IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2’s story has already been confirmed: the Bradley Gang massacre. This was teased by the credits of the show, but is also notably one of the interludes from King’s book, and was briefly mentioned in the IT movies as well. That puts it in a similar position to the burning of The Black Spot, which became one of the biggest, most devastating events of Season 1.
The Bradley Gang were a group who used to rob various stores in Derry, and were gunned down in a major shootout, which also included witnesses reporting having seen a clown involved. Like The Black Spot, it’s likely there’ll be a mix of rising tensions in Derry – this time presumably driven by the Great Depression – and Pennywise’s influence of fear and the violence and anger that begets. It’s also possible the clown will once again be Ingrid Kersh, similar to how she appeared in Season 1, Episode 7.
Kersh has already been confirmed to be in Derry in 1935, as flashbacks showed her working at Juniper Hill asylum, where she saw Pennywise and believed her father had returned. Given how important the character has become, including the epilogue of the finale bringing back Joan Gregson to the role alongside Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh, while also being the daughter of Bob Gray, it seems a certainty her story will be fleshed out more.
2) IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 Will Need A Mostly New Cast
IT: Welcome to Derry‘s cast was one of its strongest assets, especially with the actors playing the kids, but it’s going to have to change almost entirely for the second season. Bill Skarsgård can and presumably will return as Pennywise: he has made the role his own over the two movies and now eight episodes of the show, and he’s an executive producer on the series as well. The other actress who could potentially return is Tyner Rushing, who played Ingrid in 1935. They didn’t just cast an unknown for the small role – Rushing’s credits include notable parts in For All Mankind, Under the Banner of Heaven, and Stranger Things – so it’d make sense if they were planning to bring her back.
Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine any other actors returning, given the 27-year gap. Still, some familiar names and faces should be around in Derry. We could, for instance, see Stanley Kersh, Rose, and Clint Bowers all still be a part of Derry and this story. The latter two in particular should be involved, given the battle against Pennywise for Rose, and the massacre involving the police, which could further highlight the corruption within. It’s also likely we’ll get more familiar surnames and relatives of the Losers Club, because this is a story about generational trauma.
1) When Could IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 Be Released?
Given IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 hasn’t even been officially confirmed, then it’s likely going to be a lengthy wait even if it does get renewed. At this point, filming probably wouldn’t take place until the second half of 2026 at the earliest. If that happens, then we could see the second season release around Halloween 2027, because dropping it at a similar time of year would make a lot of sense. If filming is pushed too late in 2026, though, or even to 2027, then we could be looking at a 2028 release, especially as it’s a VFX heavy show. This isn’t uncommon for HBO or other major networks nowadays, so fans should be prepared to be patient.
All episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 are available to stream on HBO Max.
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