After eight chilling episodes, IT: Welcome to Derry has officially wrapped its first season, closing a terrifying chapter while opening the door to much more horror ahead. The HBO and HBO Max series, set within Stephen King’s IT universe, aired its season finale on Sunday night, ending a run that began on October 26 and quickly established itself as a major ratings success.
Developed for television by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and showrunner Jason Fuchs, IT: Welcome to Derry expands the mythology introduced in the blockbuster films IT (2017) and IT Chapter Two (2019). The series draws inspiration from King’s novel, particularly the book’s lesser-explored “interludes,” which hint at the town’s violent past and the cyclical nature of the evil haunting Derry.
Bill Skarsgård returned to the role that defined modern horror for many fans: Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Alongside him, the ensemble cast includes Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Rudy Mancuso. Together, they helped bring a darker, lore-heavy vision of Derry to life—one that focuses less on familiar jump scares and more on the town’s long history of trauma and bloodshed.
A Strong Start and Impressive Viewership
From the moment it premiered, IT: Welcome to Derry proved to be a hit. The pilot episode attracted 5.7 million cross-platform viewers across HBO and HBO Max in its first three days, making it the third-biggest debut in HBO Max history, trailing only House of the Dragon and The Last of Us. The momentum continued throughout the season, with the seventh episode drawing 5.8 million viewers in its opening days.
Even more impressively, the series is averaging around 10.7 million viewers per episode to date. This consistent performance places the show in a strong position as Warner Bros. Discovery considers its future, especially given that audience interest and social conversation have continued to grow week by week.
Renewal Status and Long-Term Plans
As of now, HBO has not officially announced a renewal for IT: Welcome to Derry. However, the lack of confirmation does not mean cancellation. In fact, several signs suggest the opposite. The finale included a pointed “Chapter One” title card, strongly implying that the story is meant to continue.
Behind the scenes, preparations are already underway. A writers’ room reportedly convened in mid-2025 to begin work on Season 2 scripts, a common practice that allows production to move quickly if a renewal is greenlit. Combined with the show’s strong ratings, this makes a continuation seem likely, even if the official announcement has yet to arrive.
Andy Muschietti has also been clear about his long-term vision. According to him, the overarching story is planned as a three-season arc, each season focusing on a different Pennywise cycle. Season 1 is set in 1962, while the next two seasons are planned for 1935 and 1908, respectively. Rather than moving forward in time, the series tells its story in reverse, gradually uncovering the origins and deeper mythology of the creature haunting Derry.
What Season 2 Will Explore
Even without a formal renewal, several details about Season 2 are already known. The next chapter is expected to take place in 1935, the Pennywise cycle preceding the events of Season 1. Viewers have already seen glimpses of this era through flashbacks, including a haunting sequence involving a younger Ingrid Kersh at Juniper Hill asylum, where she believes she has reunited with her father, Bob Gray—another form of Pennywise.
Each Pennywise cycle ends with a major act of violence known as an “Augury.” In Season 1, this was the burning of The Black Spot. In Season 2, the Augury will center on the massacre of the Bradley Gang, a dark event hinted at earlier in the season by the discovery of a car filled with skeletons. While the novel places these events in the same cycle, the series separates them by 27 years, giving each its own narrative weight.
Because the story shifts timelines, Season 2 is expected to introduce a largely new cast of characters, though Skarsgård’s return as Pennywise is virtually guaranteed. There is also the possibility that some actors could return in ancestral roles, depending on creative choices.
When Could Season 2 Premiere?
Even if IT: Welcome to Derry is renewed soon, fans should not expect new episodes quickly. Season 1 had an unusually long production timeline. Filming began in May 2023, was halted by industry strikes in July, resumed later, and finally wrapped in August 2024. After extensive post-production, the show did not premiere until late October 2025. In total, the season reportedly involved 237 shoot days.
Assuming a smoother process for Season 2, production could still take six to eight months, followed by another eight to ten months of post-production. If filming were to begin in early 2026, this timeline would place the earliest possible release sometime in 2027. An October 2027 premiere would align well with the show’s horror roots, though a summer or fall release is also possible.
That said, uncertainty remains. By the time Season 2 is ready, HBO, HBO Max, or even Warner Bros. Discovery itself could be operating under different ownership, which may influence scheduling decisions.
The End of Chapter One
For now, IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 stands as a successful and unsettling expansion of Stephen King’s universe. With strong ratings, clear creative plans, and a finale that teased deeper mysteries— including a time-bending twist involving Pennywise—the series appears poised to continue its backward journey into Derry’s blood-soaked past. Whether the official renewal comes sooner or later, all signs point to the Dancing Clown returning to terrorize viewers once again.
