When Is Welcome To Derry Set In Stephen King's IT Timeline?

Ever since Stephen King's novel "IT" was first adapted, it has captivated audiences — and left plenty of people with lasting scars when it comes to OG killer clown villain Pennywise, who was originally portrayed by Tim Curry in the 1990 miniseries and effectively reimagined by Bill Skarsgård in the 2017 big-screen blockbuster. But in this day and age, it's not a franchise unless there's multiple moving parts, and "IT" is no different. The horror returned to the small screen in 2025 in the form of the HBO series "It: Welcome to Derry."

Set in 1962, "Derry" is a prequel to the main "IT" story that everyone is already familiar with, exploring the town's curse 27 years before the 2017 film's 1980s-set storyline (updated from the novel's placement decades earlier) with a fresh cast of characters investigating the fictional town's increasing number of missing children. 

Starring James Remar, Chris Chalk, and Taylour Paige, with Skarsgård reprising his chilling role as Pennywise, the popular show, which released eight episodes for the inaugural season, delves into the town's dark history of violence and the mysterious disappearances that happen every 27 years. Fans know that's when Pennywise begins an intense period of feeding and violence before it goes into hibernation once again.

With the initial season of "It: Welcome to Derry" a success, landing the HBO show in the top three series debuts for the platform, a second season is already in the works, according to creators Andy and Barbara Muschietti. In the next season, the events will once again move further back in time, following Pennywise's dark history of enjoying a 27-year hibernation in the franchise. That's set to take things all the way back to 1935.

While no exact release date or storyline has been formally confirmed, the Muschiettis are predicting a 2027 release and have said the plot will involve the notorious Bradley Gang massacre, a seminal piece of lore in the "IT" universe. The new storyline and Depression-era period will mean there will be a casting shakeup, presumably except for Skarsgård.

Beyond that, the "Derry" creators have expressed interest and hope in the series being a trilogy. That would mean if Season 2 is popular, we could be going back to approximately 1908 for Season 3 — or further, depending on what lore the series wants to expand. But only time will tell.