As we first reported on FearHQ.com, HBO has announced that IT: Welcome to Derry, from Warner Bros. Television and executive-produced by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, has been renewed for a second season. Brad Caleb Kane will return as showrunner.
Since its debut, the series has ranked among the top four series premieres in HBO Max's global history. The eight-episode first season is currently available to stream on HBO Max, and it's been revealed today that we're heading deeper into Pennywise's past as the terrifying dancing clown attempts to wipe out the Losers Club before they kill him in 2016.
The Season 1 finale established that Pennywise experiences time differently from humans, so the stakes will be high as the prequel series dives deeper into the iconic horror character's mythology.
Set in the world of Stephen King's IT universe, IT: Welcome to Derry is based on King's IT novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films IT and IT Chapter Two. Season 2 takes place in 1935 during the Great Depression and centres on the bloody massacre of the Bradley Gang, a group of bank robbers who stop in Derry to buy ammo and end up facing unimaginable horror.
Sarah Aubrey, Head of HBO Max Original Programming, said, "We are excited to return to the chilling world of Derry and to further expand on Andy and Barbara Muschietti's horrifically iconic adaptation. Together with Brad Caleb Kane, they will break new ground in season two, deepening the terror, the mystery, and the unforgettable Pennywise lore that fans love to devour."
"We know IT: Welcome to Derry will continue to captivate viewers with its spine-tingling new journey into the 1930s for Season 2," added Clancy Collins White, President, Creative Affairs, Warner Bros. Television. "We look forward to bringing fans back to the town of Derry to experience the next chapter and uncover even more of what lies beneath the surface."
Andy and Barbara Muschietti, meanwhile, noted, "Continuing to explore and expand on the amazing world Stephen King created is an absolute privilege. The support of our partners at HBO and Warner Bros. Television is priceless. Boy do we love our jobs!"
Produced by HBO and Warner Bros. Television, IT: Welcome to Derry is based on the novel It by Stephen King. Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti (through their Double Dream production company), Brad Caleb Kane, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Jamie Travis, and Dhana Gilbert are executive producers. As noted, Kane will serve as showrunner on Season 2.
Check out the first teaser for IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 below.