IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 was one of the most refreshing horror series in recent years.Andy Muschietti, who directed the recent IT films, developed the series alongside Jason Fuchs, and his sister and longtime collaborator Barbara Muschietti. Following the success of the first season, a second season has quietly been in development at HBO, although the studio has yet to make any official announcement.
Andy Muschietti recently confirmed that the next chapter will explore 1935 and center around the Bradley Gang incident, revealing this during Deadline’s Contenders TV panel. He also gave some insight into the creative direction and tone of the new season:
“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.”
While official details remain under wraps, what has started to take shape is the creative team behind IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2, and it hints toward an ambitious second season. We are told that Muschietti has brought together a group of writers with strong backgrounds in genre storytelling, many of whom have experience with complex, character driven series. Nothing is fully confirmed at this point in time.
Among the most notable additions are Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, the creators behind Dark and 1899. Their work is known for its intricate plotting and heavy thematic focus, which could signal a more ambitious and complex season. At one point, Odar even shared his excitement about joining the project through Instagram, posting Easter eggs tied to the series, although those posts were later deleted without explanation.
Jessica Mecklenburg, known for her work as a writer and producer on Stranger Things, is another addition. IT: Welcome to Derry was frequently compared to Stranger Things throughout its run so it seems to be a fitting choice.
John McCutcheon also joins the writers’ room, coming off his work on The Penguin, where he wrote the “Cent’Anni,” the second highest rated episode of the season.
Donald Joh, whose credits include Invasion and Snowpiercer, and Tara Shivkumar, a producer on Fallout and writer on Cape Fear, round out the lineup.
For now, details around filming and a release date remain under wraps, and HBO has yet to formally confirm the season. Still, based on the direction outlined by Muschietti and the strength of the assembled writing team, Season 2 of IT: Welcome to Derry is shaping up to be a more ambitious and potentially more unsettling continuation of the story.
