{"id":7143,"date":"2026-07-16T01:11:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T20:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=7143"},"modified":"2026-07-16T01:11:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T20:11:54","slug":"welcome-to-derry-season-2s-update-is-great-news-for-stephen-kings-hbo-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=7143","title":{"rendered":"Welcome To Derry Season 2\u2019s Update Is Great News For Stephen King\u2019s HBO Show"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p>While <a href=\"http:\/\/IT:%20Welcome%20to%20Derry\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>IT: Welcome to Derry<\/em><\/strong><\/a> season 1 was one of the best Stephen King adaptations in years, it is surprisingly exciting to hear that the HBO Max series won\u2019t return to screens for a while yet. Even though Stephen King is one of the most iconic horror authors of the last century, the announcement of HBO Max\u2019s <em>It<\/em> prequel series <em>Welcome to Derry<\/em> still left some fans of the author\u2019s work feeling uneasy.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>After all, King\u2019s 1986 novel <em>IT<\/em> is a massive, 1000+ page tome, and its two movie adaptations from the late 2010s already needed to make some major elisions just to fit its plot into a two-part, five-hour story. It seemed like the last thing <em>IT<\/em> needed was a spinoff story focusing on its setting, borrowing from <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/twin-peaks-best-quote-scariest-tv-history\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Twin Peaks<\/em>\u2019 blend of psychological horror<\/a> and small-town character drama.<\/p>\n<p>If the original book and its movie adaptations were both criticized for dragging out a good story, then a full-length small-screen spinoff sounded like a terrible plan. However, <em>IT: Welcome To Derry<\/em> proved doubters wrong almost as soon as the series premiered. With one of the boldest pilot episodes in recent TV history, the show called to mind <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/netflix-best-original-horror-movie-fear-street\/\" target=\"_blank\">Netflix\u2019s acclaimed <em>Fear Street<\/em> franchise<\/a> or a darker, more unapologetically brutal version of <em>Stranger Things<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"it-welcome-to-derry-season-2-rsquo-s-slow-progress-is-good-for-the-spinoff\">\n                        IT: Welcome To Derry Season 2\u2019s Slow Progress Is Good For the Spinoff<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Bill Skarsgard\u2019s Pennywise giving a creepy smile in It: Welcome to Derry\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0c021a8e-b787-41db-93ee-a25958017f2b.jpeg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As season 1\u2019s story progressed, <em>IT: Welcome to Derry<\/em> went from strength to strength, fleshing out its characters while also providing a steady supply of genuinely unsettling, original scares. The show felt less like a carbon copy of the movies and more like an organic extension of King\u2019s fictional universe, and even managed to illustrate Pennywise\u2019s backstory more effectively than the original novel itself.<\/p>\n<p>As such, viewers might be clamoring for the next installment of the prequel series, especially <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/stranger-things-blu-ray-release-2026-end-of-an-era\/\" target=\"_blank\">since the end of<em> Stranger Things<\/em><\/a> in January 2026. As such, it might seem counterintuitive to say that HBO CEO Casey Bloys\u2019 recent comments to <em>Variety<\/em>, in which he said that work was only just beginning on season 2, are good news for fans. Bloys told the entertainment magazine, \u201cT<em>hey\u2019re working on a take for Season 2, and they\u2019re coming up with a take and scripts<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since season 1 aired in late 2025, viewers might have hoped that production would already be underway for season 2 by mid-2026. Instead, it is clear that the series won\u2019t produce a new season annually and is more likely to take multiple-year breaks between seasons like fellow streaming sensations<em> Stranger Things <\/em>and<em> Wednesday<\/em>. Fortunately, this is secretly a good thing for the show\u2019s longevity.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"it-welcome-to-derry-season-2-rsquo-s-time-jump-will-be-tough\">\n                        IT: Welcome To Derry Season 2\u2019s Time Jump Will Be Tough<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;Image vi MovieStillsDB&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pennywise covered in blood laughing in IT Welcome to Derry\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pennywise-covered-in-blood-laughing-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Pennywise covered in blood laughing in IT Welcome to Derry<\/figcaption><small class=\"body-img-caption\">Image vi MovieStillsDB<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Shot back to back with its predecessor, <em>It: Chapter 2<\/em> came out only 2 years after 2017\u2019s blockbuster hit <em>It<\/em> and was infamously terrible. The second movie in the series failed to recapture the first film\u2019s easy balance between character comedy and intense horror, often feeling both bizarrely light-hearted and jarringly dark thanks to its sudden tonal transitions.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, much like Bloys denying the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/the-pitt-night-shift-spinoff-update-franchise\/\" target=\"_blank\">existence of <em>The Pitt<\/em>\u2019s potential night shift spinoff<\/a> for the time being, the CEO\u2019s announcement that <em>IT: Welcome to Derry<\/em> is still only just being written is great news. Season 1\u2019s ending set up a time jump 27 years into the past, which will mean an all-new cast. However, season 2\u2019s story will also face another tricky storytelling issue thanks to the plots of the movies and the first season.<\/p>\n<p>Viewers already know that Pennywise won\u2019t be meaningfully defeated in season 2, since the events of season 1 and the movies happened after season 2\u2019s ending. Thus, the protagonists of season 2 are largely doomed before the show\u2019s sophomore outing even begins, which will make it harder for viewers to get attached to them. As such, <em><strong>IT: Welcome to Derry<\/strong><\/em>\u2019s creators are right to take some time and develop a compelling workaround for this issue.<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card type-screen large\" data-show-streamrentbuy-links=\"true\" data-include-community-rating=\"true\" id=\"c95e-44fc-84a7dc416fd7\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content\">\n<div class=\"display-card-content image-column\">\n<p>                        <!--    Rating block community and brand ratings --><br \/>\n                        <!--  Image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-img  has-image-group\" data-stnl=\"%7B%22category%22%3A%22Click%20Interactions%22%2C%22name%22%3A%22Tag%20Display%20Card%22%2C%22action%22%3A%22Fullscreen%20Image%20Load%22%2C%22once%22%3Atrue%7D\" data-stnl-group-once=\"8SjuLWk1NE\">\n<div class=\"body-img portrait \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  img-article-square\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=1\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"480\" height=\"720\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"03184877_poster_w780.jpg\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=1\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/03184877_poster_w780.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=1\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!-- User Rating widget --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-card-content info-column\">\n                                                                                                                            <!--  Display card tags widget --><\/p>\n<p>                                                <!--  Display card community and brand rating widget --><br \/>\n                                                                <!--  Display card main info widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-info main-info\">\n<dl>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Release Date<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 26, 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Network<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHBO<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Directors<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAndy Muschietti<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!--  Display card media widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card media widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Cast widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- Cast widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to watch button preview --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to watch preview end --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <!-- Extra content section, display hidden by default --><br \/>\n            <input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"extra-content-c95e-44fc-84a7dc416fd7\" name=\"extra-content-c95e-44fc-84a7dc416fd7\" class=\"expand-extra-info-checkbox css-menu-checkbox\"\/> <!-- Checkbox: control the expandable behavior  of the extra info --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- Display card footer --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- PROS and CONS section --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While IT: Welcome to Derry season 1 was one of the best Stephen King adaptations in years, it is surprisingly exciting to hear that the HBO Max series won\u2019t return to screens for a while yet. Even though Stephen King is one of the most iconic horror authors of the last century, the announcement of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/madeleine-stowe-dressed-as-a-clown-in-it-welcome-to-derry.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}