The first season of HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry wrapped up last night with a finale that didn’t just stick the landing—it tied the series directly into IT (2017) and IT: Chapter Two, while quietly setting the stage for what could become an expansive, time-spanning horror saga.

The not-so-great news? Season 2 hasn’t officially been greenlit yet.
The good news? The story for Seasons 2 and 3 is already mapped out.

⚠️ Major spoilers for the Welcome to Derry Season 1 finale below.

The finale confirms a chilling revelation: Pennywise does not experience time the way humans do. Past, present, and future exist simultaneously for the ancient entity—allowing IT to see its own eventual defeat at the hands of the Losers’ Club long before it happens.

That knowledge fuels Pennywise’s true objective throughout Season 1. The clown has been manipulating events to eliminate Marge, revealed to be the mother of Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard), one of the Losers who will one day help destroy IT. Pennywise knows its fate—and it’s trying to rewrite it.

By the end of the episode, it’s heavily implied that Pennywise’s next move will be to dig even deeper into the Losers’ Club family bloodlines, hunting further back in time to prevent its own destruction. That idea perfectly aligns with what’s been teased for future seasons.

If HBO gives the official order, Season 2 will reportedly take place in 1935, with Season 3 jumping even further back to 1908—tracking Pennywise’s feeding cycles across decades.

As established in Stephen King’s IT, the creature awakens every 27 years, leaving a trail of tragedy in its wake. Welcome to Derry Season 1 unfolded in 1962, while IT (2017) was set in 1989, followed by IT: Chapter Two in 2016. Each cycle begins and ends with an act of extreme violence, as Pennywise feeds on fear—particularly the fear of children.

Producer and director Andy Muschietti confirmed to Deadline that this time-bending mythology was always part of the plan.

“His experience of time is non-linear. How is that and why—that’s a whole exploration that we intend to flesh out during the next two seasons,” Muschietti explained. “The pitch to Stephen King was we’re going to tell a story backwards.”

Muschietti says Seasons 2 and 3 will aim to answer a central question: Is Pennywise moving backward through time in a straight line—or is IT truly omnipresent? And how does that change what fans think they already know?

The upcoming seasons will also dive deeper into Pennywise’s human history, including Bob Gray, and expand on the tragic character of Ingrid, who was alive during the 1930s storyline.

“She’s a victim, but she’s a perpetrator too,” Muschietti says. “She’s tricked into believing her father still exists within the monster—and the only way to reach him is by creating pain. Because she knows that’s when IT appears.”

For now, fans will have to wait for HBO’s official decision—but if Welcome to Derry gets its next chapters, Pennywise’s story is far from over.

Stay tuned to Gore Culture for updates on IT: Welcome to Derry Seasons 2 and 3. 🎈