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Cathal Gunning
Published 15 minutes ago
Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020.
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While It: Welcome To Derry season 1 has earned rave reviews, the HBO show’s future is not yet certain. From It: Welcome to Derry’s opening scene onward, it was clear that the It prequel series was not playing things safe. During its pilot, the show seemed like a darker, bleaker remix of the movies, albeit set in the ‘60s.
However, the pilot’s ending kicked the darkness into overdrive when almost all the main characters were killed off in its closing moments, even though most of them are children. This proved that It: Welcome to Derry was one of 2025’s darkest horror shows, and potentially too dark for a mainstream audience who flocked to see the earlier It movies.
However, this has not seemed to hurt the show’s ratings. The HBO series reported incredible viewership numbers around the release of its pilot episode, attracting over 5.5 million viewers in the first three days of its release. It: Welcome to Derry’s many Stephen King nods made it a must-watch for fans, but the show is clearly also a mainstream hit.
It: Welcome To Derry Has Not Been Officially Renewed For Season 2
Despite how successful It: Welcome to Derry season 1 has been so far, the show has not yet been renewed for a second season. In all likelihood, it seems fair to guess that It: Welcome to Derry season 2 will happen, since the prequel has enjoyed positive critical reviews while also earning millions of viewers on HBO’s streaming service.
That said, the show’s renewal is no sure thing, and there are numerous reasons to think that the series could struggle to gain a second season. For one thing, It: Welcome to Derry isn’t cheap, and the show’s high production budget could prove problematic in its second outing. For another, the series doesn’t have much in the way of big-name star power.
By far the most famous cast member is Bill Skarsgard, who plays It: Welcome to Derry’s villain Pennywise the Clown. Pennywise is an iconic villain, but his shape-shifting nature means that he only appears once in the show’s first five episodes. Furthermore, the show’s three-season plan ensures that none of season 1’s other stars could return even if their characters survive.
What It: Welcome To Derry's Creators Have Said About Future Seasons
The creators of It: Welcome to Derry have a plan for at least three seasons of the series, according to Entertainment Weekly. However, these three seasons won’t take place consecutively and, instead, would run backward in chronological order. Each would skip a generation, meaning recurring characters would be played by new, younger actors.
Executive producer Brad Caleb Kane explained that, since Pennywise's existence predates Derry itself, the best way to tell the monster’s story would be to flash back to different historical eras and see how the monster manifested in each one. Already, It: Welcome To Derry’s Pennywise has functioned like a Wendigo in a flashback to the town’s earliest European invaders.
It: Welcome To Derry Season 2 Story Details
Dick Hallorann looking terrified in IT Welcome to Derry episode 4
Similarly, seasons 2 and 3 would focus on 1935 and 1908, respectively, delving further into the past to unknot more of Derry’s complicated history. Much like 2017’s It was set in the 1980s, and It: Welcome to Derry season 1 is set in the early ‘60s, season 2 would be set in 1935, while season 3 would be set in 1908.
Already, viewers know that It: Welcome To Derry’s Ingrid Kersh has been around since at least 1935, judging by the events of episode 6. However, there are other hints to events that occurred around this time, with members of the military mentioning a massacre of local criminals that occurred in the same era during an earlier episode.
What It: Welcome To Derry's Timeline Means For Season 2's Cast
Since It: Welcome To Derry season 2 will take place in 1935, if the show’s second outing is green lit, viewers should not expect many of season 1’s cast to return. Most of it: Welcome to Derry’s main characters, including Richie, Ronnie, Lily, Marge, and Will, weren’t even born in 1935, meaning their appearance would make no sense.
Of the established season 1 characters who would have been born by then, almost none were in Derry at the time. Will’s father, Leroy, only moved to Derry with his wife, Charlotte, in the pilot, and his doomed comrade Pauly had also never been to the town before. However, a young version of It: Welcome To Derry’s Hank Grogan could appear.
Similarly, a younger version of Ingrid Kersh could appear in season 2 if it is set during 1935, and Kimberly Guerrero’s character Rose could return, too, as her character has lived in Derry since before 1935. That said, these characters would still need to be new, recast versions of the characters due to the time gap.
Since It: Welcome To Derry season 2’s story will be set in 1935, viewers should not expect to see any of season 1’s cast members again, whether the show is renewed or not. There is one exception to this rule, though. It: Welcome to Derry’s Pennywise will likely always be played by Skarsgard in every era.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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It: Welcome to Derry
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Horror Mystery Drama Release Date October 26, 2025 Network HBO Directors Andy Muschietti Writers Jason Fuchs, Stephen King, Austin Guzman Franchise(s) IT
8 Images
Dick Hallorann with his eyes wide looking angry in It Welcome to Derry
Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise in IT Welcome to Derry trailer 2Image courtesy of HBO Max
Kid similing in IT Welcome To Derry
It: Welcome to Derry teens looking surprised at something off screen
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Given the high production budget and lack of big-name stars, do you think It: Welcome to Derry will be renewed for a second season?
Cathal
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15 minutes ago
The show's success in terms of critical acclaim and viewership numbers suggests that a renewal is likely. However, the high production costs and lack of A-list stars could potentially make the network hesitant to commit to future seasons. Ultimately, the decision will likely come down to a balance between the show's popularity and its financial viability.
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