HBO Boss Offers Promising Update on IT: WELCOME TO DERRY Season 2

If you've already torn through every episode of IT: Welcome to Derryand have been wondering why HBO hasn't officially ordered another season yet, you're definitely not alone.

The horror prequel has been a hit with viewers, critics have embraced it, and now it's even picked up Emmy nominations. So what's causing the delay?
The series continues to build momentum after earning two Emmy nominations as part of this year's impressive showing for HBO. With strong viewership across HBO and HBO Max, a Season 2 renewal feels like it should already be locked in. Instead, fans are still waiting for the official announcement.

Thankfully, Casey Bloys, HBO's chairman and CEO, offered a promising update while speaking with Variety about the network's massive Emmy haul.

“They’re working on a take for Season 2, and they’re coming up with a take and scripts. I am very inclined to [renew it], obviously — the show did very well. They want to be happy with the direction that they’ve come up with. They’re still working on it. They’ll show it to us, but I’m feeling very good about what I’ve heard so far.”

It sounds like HBO isn't dragging its feet because of ratings or uncertainty about the show's future. Instead, Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti are taking the time to make sure they have the right story before moving forward.

Rather than rushing another season into production, the creative team appears focused on making sure the next chapter lives up to everything that made the first season work. Based on Bloys' comments, this feels much more like a matter of when Season 2 gets announced instead of if.

The Muschiettis have previously talked about expanding the show's timeline even further into Derry's horrifying past. If those plans are still in play, it's possible they're mapping out more than just one additional season.

Stories centered around Pennywise's earlier cycles in 1935 and even 1908 have already been discussed, so the team could be building a larger roadmap before HBO officially pulls the trigger.

That would certainly explain why they're taking their time. Of course, that doesn't make the wait any easier. Bill Skarsgård's return as Pennywise reminded everyone why he's become one of horror's most unforgettable modern monsters, and IT: Welcome to Derry proved there's still plenty of nightmare fuel left to explore in Stephen King's terrifying town.

Muschietti previously confirmed that the follow-up will jump back in time to the 1930s and center on a lesser-known but brutal subplot from King’s book.

“It’s 1935 – we’re now working on it, and it’s so much fun,” Muschietti said during Deadline’s Contenders TV panel for the series. “For the ones of you who read the books, probably the Bradley Gang sounds familiar.

“The Bradley Gang was a gang of bank robbers that — not accidentally, but they were on their way somewhere and they stopped in Derry to buy some ammo and something horrible happens.”

Muschietti explained that this storyline has roots in real-world crime history that inspired King in the first place.

“The Bradley Gang is based on the Brady Gang, which is a real-life gang of robbers that were executed in the streets of Bangor, Maine. And now we’re not creating the event that the big paroxysm of violence in this case will be the massacre of a Bradley gang.”

Muschietti made it clear that the Depression-era backdrop flips the usual formula on its head.

“It’s fascinating because the thing that is so much fun in this stage of development is that we’re facing an era which is the Depression Era that changes dramatically the setup of things.

“There’s no suburban comfort — the trope of the kids that live in suburbia and they ride their bikes and suddenly one of them disappears is nothing like this. This is in 1935. It’s a very dire situation. People are very poor. They’re struggling to survive, so the setup will be very different.”

Muschietti also teased how this season fits into a larger long-term plan for the series, hinting at even more infamous events from Derry’s bloody past.

“There’s like three big events in Welcome to Derry Season 1 … and Season 3 would be the explosion of the Kitchener Iron Works, which is a big explosion during an Easter egg hunt where a hundred kids lost their lives. It’s always there f*cking around, so that much I can tell you.”

If you know King’s lore, that’s one of the most disturbing tragedies tied to Derry, and hearing it mentioned this early suggests the show has some serious long-game storytelling in mind.

Unfortunately, fans shouldn't expect new episodes anytime soon. A Season 2 won't be arriving during the 2026 TV season, so for now, the only option is to revisit Season 1 while keeping an eye out for HBO's inevitable announcement.

With strong ratings, positive reviews, Emmy recognition, and HBO sounding enthusiastic about continuing the series, all signs still point toward Pennywise making another terrifying return to Derry.

It's simply a matter of the creative team finishing a story they're confident can live up to the first season. That's worth waiting for, especially when Pennywise is involved.