Despite not receiving an official renewal just yet, HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry wrapped its first season with its largest audience to date, cementing the Stephen King prequel as one of the network’s biggest recent hits.
The Season 1 finale pulled in 6.5 million U.S. viewers across HBO and HBO Max within its first three days, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. That marks a 12% increase from the penultimate episode, which had previously held the season’s high.
Across its full freshman run, the horror drama is now averaging nearly 20 million viewers globally, including 11.5 million in the U.S. alone. HBO has also confirmed the series ranks among the Top 3 original debuts since HBO Max launched, trailing only The Last of Us and House of the Dragon.
What the Finale Set Up
Set in 1960s Derry, Maine, Welcome to Derry expands the mythology introduced in Andy Muschietti’s IT films, digging deeper into the origins of Pennywise and the town’s long history of violence. The Season 1 finale answered several lingering questions about the supernatural force haunting Derry — while deliberately opening the door to much more.
According to executive producer and director Andy Muschietti, the show was always designed as a three-season story told in reverse.
The Planned Three-Season Arc
Although HBO has not officially renewed the series, Muschietti has repeatedly shared his long-term plan:
- Season 1 (1962) – Introduced the modern cycle of terror and laid the groundwork for Pennywise’s mythology
- Season 2 (Planned – 1935) – Set during the Great Depression, exploring another deadly cycle in Derry’s past
- Season 3 (Planned – 1908) – Diving even deeper into the earliest known events tied to Pennywise
Each season jumps back 27 years, aligning with Pennywise’s infamous feeding cycle. The finale also confirmed that Pennywise experiences time non-linearly, a storytelling device that will reportedly play a major role in future seasons.
Will Pennywise Return?
While no casting announcements have been made, Bill Skarsgård’s return as Pennywise is widely expected should the show move forward. Future seasons would also introduce new characters native to each era, with younger versions of some familiar names appearing along the way.
Muschietti has teased that upcoming chapters would further explore the mythological elements of Stephen King’s novel — including the long-rumored significance of the Turtle — while continuing to plant Easter eggs tied to the films.
Renewal Status
As of December 2025, IT: Welcome to Derry has not yet been officially renewed for Season 2. However, with record-setting viewership, sustained audience growth, and a clearly mapped-out multi-season vision, the odds appear strongly in the show’s favor.
For now, all eight episodes of Season One are streaming on HBO Max — and fans may not have to wait another 27 years to return to Derry.