Even though Pennywise seemed to be stopped at the end of the first season, Bill Skarsgård will return to play the terrifying clown in the upcoming seasons of IT: Welcome to Derry. The HBO series, created by Andy and Barbara Muschietti alongside Jason Fuchs, brings Skarsgård back as the iconic monster from their previous Stephen King movie adaptations, but this time the story is set in 1962. Welcome to Derry not only features Pennywise terrorizing a new group of kids, but also delves deeper into his backstory and origins.
Bill Skarsgård recently spoke with ScreenRant about his new movie, Dead Man’s Wire, and hinted at what’s next for his character, Pennywise, in the upcoming film IT: Welcome to Derry. He described playing a younger version of Pennywise in a 1908 flashback – a washed-up, drunken clown before the entity fully takes over – and was surprised by the depth they were discovering with the character. Skarsgård suggests there’s more to Pennywise’s story yet to be revealed.
I think the scene with Bob Gray talking to IT as a child was the most fun we had filming. We were constantly laughing at the things that came up, especially the improvised moments. That scene felt very different from the dramatic one where Pennywise tells his daughter, ‘Oh my darling, I love you.’ It made me realize there are probably more sides to Bob Gray, and we might see more of his story later on.
Bill Skarsgård’s statements follow the surprising ending of IT: Welcome to Derry, which hinted at how the show might explore Pennywise’s previous attacks on the town. During the finale, Pennywise pulled young Marge Lawler aside and revealed that he doesn’t experience time like humans do – he sees everything all at once. Although Marge and Lilly were happy to have seemingly defeated him, they worried that Pennywise could use his knowledge of the past, present, and future to avoid being destroyed in IT Chapter Two, and even erase them from existence.
This approach allows the creative team to continue planning future seasons by moving backwards in time. For example, season 2 of IT: Welcome to Derry will be set in 1935 and center around the Bradley Gang massacre, and season 3 will go even further back to 1908. Since season 1 also revealed when IT first became known as Pennywise, there’s a good chance Bill Skarsgård could return to explore how the creature became the reclusive figure hiding in Derry’s sewers, rather than the powerful “Eater of Worlds” he often portrays himself as.
Bill Skarsgård’s return as Pennywise seems to be waiting on HBO’s decision about renewing IT: Welcome to Derry for a second season. The show had a strong start, ranking as the third most-watched debut on HBO Max, behind only House of the Dragon and The Last of Us. The finale was the most-watched episode of the first season, suggesting good potential for renewal. Critics and viewers generally liked the show, as reflected in its similar Rotten Tomatoes scores of 81% and 82%.
The main reason IT: Welcome to Derry hasn’t been renewed yet is likely the upcoming sale of HBO, HBO Max, and other Warner Bros. Discovery assets to Netflix. Paramount Skydance is aggressively trying to win the bid against Netflix, even filing a lawsuit to examine Netflix’s finances and potentially offer a higher price. This situation creates uncertainty for many shows and movies as Warner Bros. decides what to do. However, the show’s original plans, Bill Skarsgård’s desire to further explore the character of Pennywise, and its strong viewership numbers suggest it has a good chance of being approved for another season eventually.
Be sure to dive into our other IT: Welcome to Derry season 1 coverage with:
- How the reveal of Pennywise and Bob Gray’s true origins created 4 new mysteries for IT: Welcome to Derry
- The show’s expansion of Bob Gray’s backstory after IT: Chapter Two‘s initial change
- Jason Fuchs on Sophia Lillis’ surprise return as Beverly in the IT: Welcome to Derry ending and what it means for the future
- Jason Fuchs explaining the ending’s surprise Richie Tozier reveal and how the character is tied to the season’s biggest death
- Barbara Muschietti on the unique origin behind IT: Welcome to Derry exploring Pennywise’s time-shifting mindset
- Jason Fuchs on how Dick Halorann’s ending in the series sets up his Shining future
- Jason Fuchs on Pennywise’s “birth” scene in Welcome to Derry‘s ending and its impact on the IT franchise
- Jason Fuchs on whether any other Welcome to Derry season 1 characters can return in future seasons
- Barbara Muschietti on why Pennywise’s death looked different than before in Welcome to Derry‘s ending
- Barbara Muchietti’s cautious update on IT: Welcome to Derry season 2’s progress
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2026-01-13 00:49