Welcome to Derry: Andy Muschietti Reveals How Many Seasons Are Planned for the IT Prequel Series

The possible future of Welcome to Derry has been revealed. Andy Muschietti, who is a director and executive producer on the It prequel series, recently shared that they mapped out a three-season plan for the upcoming HBO show.

Speaking with Radio TU (via Bloody Disgusting), Muschietti explained how each season of Welcome to Derry will be based on a different interlude from the Stephen King book. "It’s a story that’s based on the interludes of the book. The interludes are basically chapters that reflect Mike Hanlon’s research. They’re fragments of his research. For 27 years, it’s the guy trying to figure out what it is, what did it, who did it, who saw it, and all that stuff," he shared. "So they talk about catastrophic events from the past, like the fire in the Black Spot…. the massacre of the Bradley Gang, a gang of bank robbers in the ’30s… and the explosion of the Kitchener Ironworks. Every time [Pennywise] comes out of hibernation, there is a catastrophic event that happens at the beginning of that cycle."

The first season of It: Welcome to Derry will be set in 1962, with the plan being for the next two seasons to continue winding back the clock. "We are basing the three seasons of this series on each of these catastrophic events," Muschietti teased. "There’s a reason why the story is told backwards. So the first season is 1962, the second season is 1935, and the third season is 1908." Despite Season 1 remaining without a premiere date, the filmmaker shared that Warner Bros. is happy with how Welcome to Derry turned out and is reportedly "very interested in making the second season as soon as possible."

Welcome to Derry Is a Prequel to Muschietti's It Duology

Announced in March 2022, Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to Muschietti's two-part adaptation of King's 1986 horror novel that was released in theaters in 2017 and 2019 to both critical and commercial success. However, besides the titular It, Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Welcome to Derry will not feature any other movie characters. Instead, Muschietti and co-developers Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs have created new characters for the show, who will be played by Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, and Stephen Rider, among others.

Welcome to Derry is also expected to delve into the origin of Pennywise, who will once again be played by Bill Skarsgård. The actor recently shared that he almost didn't return for the prequel series, telling Josh Horowitz of the Happy Sad Confused podcast at the end of 2024 that he was ready to move on from doing "monster roles" after finishing up Nosferatu, in which he portrays the titular vampire.

However, Skarsgård's close friendship with the Muschiettis is what ultimately got him to return. "Barbara and Andy, the Muschettis, are doing it and I love them. They’re very close friends. Family, even. I’m the godfather of his son. I love them," he explained. "So, alright, let’s bring him back."

It: Welcome to Derry is slated to premiere on HBO in 2025, although an exact premiere date has not yet been announced.

Source: Radio TU, via Bloody Disgusting