Any spooky season worth its scares has a project from the master of horror at the top of its streaming charts. This year, Mike Flanagan turned his modern gothic expertise to another Stephen King classic, as he brought a series adaptation of Carrie to Prime Video. The popular series stars Summer C. Howell as the titular telekinetic teenager, with Samantha Sloyan, Amber Midthunder, and horror favorite Matthew Lillard joining the cast.
The series wasn’t just a hit on the streaming charts; it also impressed critics, including Collider‘s Nate Richard, who said in his review that the show was “definitely worth a watch for those who hold the novel near and dear to their hearts.” But for all the flowers Carrie received, it couldn’t match the critical reception of 2025’s small-screen King adaptation that stands as one of the decade’s best. IT: Welcome to Derry brought the skin-crawling magic of King‘s iconic villain Pennywise to HBO, where it quickly became a favorite, earning 5.7 million cross-platform viewers within three days of its premiere episode and peaking with the finale’s 6.5 million viewers.
Frustratingly, we recently learned that, after being renewed back in August, IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 wouldn’t debut until next year, and likely not until halfway through 2027. But excitement continues to build for a second season that promises even more nightmare-inducing moments, and it seems such moments will be crafted by someone genetically predisposed to frighten those who consume his creativity. Exclusively revealed by Radio Times, it’s been confirmed that Stephen King’s grandson, Ethan, will be writing for IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2. “He’s brilliant and really smart. He’s a chip off the old block,” said showrunner Brad Caleb Kane in an interview. “You can see why the Kings are how they are. It’s definitely passed down genetically through generations.”
The ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Tone Will Change in Season 2
There may still be roughly a year until IT: Welcome to Derry is back on our screens, but we already know plenty about what lies in store. In a previous interview, co-creator Andy Muschietti confirmed that a tonal shift will greet Season 2 viewers, with “a lot of that depression-era hustling in the air in our characters.” The 1930s will offer a fascinating cultural backdrop for the events to unfold in front of, with Muschietti adding:
“Everybody’s trying to get by and survive the circumstances. They are gonna do crazy things. And of course, the social, cultural, horrible things that were happening in the era, too. We’re not going to skip those. [They are the] very centre and the heart of our story.”
IT: Welcome to Derry has added Ethan King to the Season 2 writing team.
via Collider