Status: Renewed. HBO has officially ordered a second season of IT: Welcome to Derry — but no premiere date has been announced yet.
Yes, IT: Welcome to Derry is coming back. HBO renewed its IT prequel for a second season after the horror series became one of the biggest launches in HBO Max history, so Pennywise will return. The only real question left is when.
Here is everything that is confirmed about Season 2 so far: its status, what the next chapter is expected to cover, who is running it, and how to catch up on Season 1 right now.
Is IT: Welcome to Derry renewed or canceled?
It is renewed. HBO picked up IT: Welcome to Derry for a second season, keeping Stephen King’s cursed Maine town on the network’s slate. There is no release date yet, and given how effects-heavy and ambitious the production is, a return before 2027 looks unlikely. Season 1 closed out its eight-episode run on December 14, 2025, so a gap of a year or more between seasons would be in line with other large-scale HBO dramas.
In other words, this is not a cliffhanger renewal that leaves fans guessing about the show’s future. The series was built as a multi-season story from the beginning, and HBO has now committed to the next installment.
Why did HBO renew it?
The short answer: people watched, and critics approved. Welcome to Derry arrived as one of HBO’s strongest genre debuts in years, drawing both the built-in IT fanbase and horror viewers who had never touched the novel. The combination of a recognizable brand, Bill Skarsgard’s return as Pennywise, and Andy Muschietti’s feature-film pedigree gave the network a reliable tentpole — exactly the kind of property a streaming service wants to keep feeding. A second season was always the plan, and the first season’s performance made the decision easy.
What will Season 2 be about?
Director Andy Muschietti has said from the outset that he imagined Welcome to Derry as a three-season arc, with each season jumping back roughly 27 years — the span between Pennywise’s feeding cycles in King’s novel. Season 1 unfolded in 1962. Season 2 is expected to move the clock back to 1935, a period tied to the Bradley Gang and the infamous Black Spot fire that readers will recognize from the source material. A potential third season, which has not been greenlit, would reach all the way back to 1908.
That structure lets the show mine a different slice of Derry’s blood-soaked history each time, rather than repeating the kids-versus-clown formula. Expect Season 2 to introduce a new ensemble of characters living in the town during the Great Depression, with Pennywise lurking beneath the surface as always. It is a smart way to keep the premise fresh while deepening the mythology that connects the series to Muschietti’s two films.
Who is making Season 2?
There is one significant change behind the camera. Jason Fuchs, who co-created and co-ran the first season, is stepping back from the showrunner role, leaving Brad Caleb Kane as the sole showrunner going forward. Andy Muschietti and his producing partner Barbara Muschietti remain executive producers and are expected to stay heavily involved, with Andy once again likely to direct multiple episodes.
Bill Skarsgard is expected to return as Pennywise, the role he originated in the 2017 and 2019 feature films and reprised for the series. His presence has been the connective tissue across every corner of this franchise, and a Pennywise-free season is hard to imagine.
How to watch IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1
All eight episodes of Season 1 are streaming now on HBO Max in the United States. The season premiered on October 26, 2025, rolled out weekly on Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and wrapped with its finale on December 14, 2025. Because the full season is already available, you can binge it from start to finish before Season 2 arrives.
If you are new to the franchise, the series works as a standalone prequel, but watching Muschietti’s two IT films first adds extra weight to the mythology the show is building out.
Here is the official trailer for the series:
Frequently asked
Has Season 2 been confirmed?
Yes. HBO has officially renewed IT: Welcome to Derry for a second season.
When will Season 2 premiere?
No date has been announced. Based on the scope of the production and the gap after Season 1’s December 2025 finale, 2027 is the most realistic window.
Where can I watch it?
The series is an HBO original and streams exclusively on HBO Max in the US. All of Season 1 is available now.
Will Pennywise be back?
Bill Skarsgard is expected to return as Pennywise. The show is designed around his character’s recurring 27-year cycle of terror.
How many seasons are planned?
Andy Muschietti has described a three-season plan, with each season set 27 years apart. Season 3 has not yet been greenlit.
Do I need to watch the IT movies first?
No. Welcome to Derry is a prequel that stands on its own, though the films enrich the backstory for returning fans.
