Brace Yourself! Pennywise Returns in Depression-Era Derry: 'It Welcome to Derry' S2 Details Revealed

Prepare to have your hair stand on end as Pennywise (portrayed by Bill Skarsgård) struts back for the second season of “It: Welcome to Derry.” Show's co-creator, Andy Muschietti, recently gave Variety a sneak peek into what's lurking in the wickedly creative writers' room. "We're fired up and deep in it," shares an enthusiastic Muschietti.

In a twist from the first season’s Cold War era background where a young boy's mysterious disappearance had everyone biting their nails, the upcoming season transports us back to 1935. It's going to center around the bone-chilling Bradley Gang Massacre from Stephen King’s “It” novel. Remember that bit in the book where an outlaw gang terrorized the city of Derry, committing crimes and leaving pandemonium in their wake? Well, that reign of terror happens 27 years prior to the events of the previous season.

Muschietti couldn’t resist teasing fans, “Expect a lot of the Depression-era struggle to hang heavy in the air. Our characters will be battling hardships, doing whatever it takes to stay afloat. Plus, we can't turn a blind eye to the atrocities of the era, which form the heart and soul of our story."

Fans of "It" have grown to love the series' ability to bring unnoticed horror to life amidst images of suburban comfort and children on bikes. Yet, the next season promises a new vibe, as Muschietti points out. "Derry is almost a ghost town on the surface this time. It's a shell, populated by exhausted, poor, jobless, and homeless folks. Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows for our kids; some of them are even orphans or runaways. Despite everything, there's this flickering flame of hope that keeps them, and the story, alive."

The flashback to 27 years earlier opens wide-ranging opportunities for the creative team, including co-creators Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, to play around with. The ‘30s interlude in King’s original doesn’t provide much story, but it still manages to add a layer of connectivity through the family tree. Muschietti assures, "We always have that family tree forming the connection."

This journey of exploring Derry and Pennywise started with Muschietti's 2017 hit “It” and continued into its 2019 sequel “It: Chapter Two”. Talking about his three-season plan for “Welcome to Derry”, covering 1962, 1935, and 1908 periods, the horror director admits to discovering a hidden story in King’s interludes. But he isn't stopping there. He's got his sights set on adapting more Stephen King masterpieces. However, he remains tight-lipped about specific projects, but reveals his fascination with 'The Jaunt' from King's “Skeleton Crew” collection. "It completely shattered me when I read it at 14," he recalls.

While you wait for the spine-chilling second season, you can revisit or catch up on “It: Welcome to Derry” Season 1 currently streaming on HBO Max.