In 1986, Stephen King penned one of the most bizarre horror novels of all time which he titled It — the novel's massive popularity in years since warrants a sequel, but will King ever write one? It is over 1,000 pages long, and includes anything from interdimensional turtles, the creation of the universe, werewolves, clowns, and murder all set within in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. Fans have long awaited the announcement that King is working on a sequel to It, and there's good reason to want one. With the expansive Stephen King literary multiverse, Pennywise and Derry, Maine have made more than their fair share of appearances outside of the original It novel without explanation, which necessitates a sequel to touch on these additional events.
The story of the Loser's Club and Pennywise the Dancing Clown has been adapted three times—a TV miniseries in 1990 and two major theatrical feature films with Andy Muschietti's IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two. Each follows the same essential framework: George Denbrough dies and his brother Bill, alongside friends Beverly Marsh, Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon, and Ben Hanscom, hunt down the monster that's plagued their hometown of Derry for centuries. As the story progresses, the plot grows extraordinarily more bizarre. King has spoken openly on the fact that he penned the novel while abusing drugs and alcohol, which led to the strange story of It. Regardless, this does not detract from the fact that It became one of his most notable works to date.
It set up the opportunity for other Stephen King books to use Pennywise and Derry in some capacity, such as Insomnia (1994), Dreamcatcher (2001), and 11/22/63 (2011). The town is even mentioned in Pet Sematary (1983), which was released three years prior to It. Derry, Maine and Pennywise have a much deeper history than the 1986 novel touches on, and as King continues to author new books and short stories that include the location and character—or other connections to It/Pennywise—it's necessary that he write a sequel to answer some of the multiverse's biggest questions.
It May Get The Sequel The Novel Deserves
There is so much about Pennywise the Dancing Clown that the novel and movies do not reveal. While Andy Muschietti's IT: Chapter Two revealed a possible origin story beyond the mystic turtle, the purpose behind the monsters need to feed on fear and remain in Derry is unknown. Even Jami O'Brien and Joe Hill's series NOS4A2 proposes that Pennywise could be a strong creative whose inscape is his circus, which explains why he never leaves Derry. No matter how many origins have been created around the killer clown, Stephen King has been resistant on writing a sequel to the novel.
According to a 2013 article featured on Vulture, King reportedly told a fan that he could not revisit Pennywise because it would be "Too scary, even for me." While this statement led many to believe it could never happen, rumors have recently surfaced that suggest he's actually working on a sequel after all. Despite these rumors, it's unlikely that a sequel book to It will ever happen; no official statement from King has been given to support this as of this writing. King rarely writes sequels to his books, although his sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, got a movie adaptation from director Mike Flanagan in 2019. However, a sequel is less likely to happen with a novel like It. Anything that could further the story of Pennywise might, in turn, ruin the uniqueness of King's original novel. However, this doesn't negate the need for a follow-up novel that would answer the original's biggest questions.
Whether or not a sequel will ever be written remains a mystery. With each new mention of Pennywise, fans of his works are discovering that The Losers' Club did not defeat the evil clown like they thought they did. What truly happened in aftermath must be answered. While a sequel to It would be a welcome addition to the Stephen King multiverse, the likelihood of it ever happening is slim despite the growing number of rumors that he's in the midst of creating it.