Pennywise the Dancing Clown isn’t done terrorizing HBO Max subscribers yet! This news should come as a surprise to no one, but IT: Welcome to Derry (read our review of the first season here) has been renewed for a second season. The original drama series, inspired by Stephen King‘s work, is returning under the direction of Andy and Barbara Muschietti, with Brad Caleb Kane serving as showrunner.
The official logline for IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 reads: 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 two takes place in 1935 during the Great Depression and centers 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.
Andy and Barbara Muschietti expressed their excitement to begin work on the new season by saying, “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!”
IT: Welcome to Derry stands as one of HBO/HBO Max’s largest original series launches, ranking as the network’s third-biggest series debut on the platform behind House of the Dragon and The Last of Us. The debut season averaged 11.5 million viewers per episode in the U.S. across HBO and HBO Max, reaching nearly 20 million weekly viewers globally.
Ever since the release of Andy Muschietti’s It in 2017, Pennywise the Dancing Clown has reemerged as a horror icon for the ages, alongside the likes of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Chucky, and more. Yes, old-school It fans keep a candle burning for Tim Curry’s version of the character, but Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise has broken through the pop culture zeitgeist in ways no one could have predicted. With a new season of IT: Welcome to Derry on the way, Pennywise’s popularity will only grow, making him stronger than ever. Be careful what you wish for.