While AMC has been known for the brutal zombie action of The Walking Dead and the darkly comedic chaos of The Preacher, more people should be talking about the network's masterfully understated thriller The Terror. Luckily, there will be more time for viewers to dive in, as AMC has renewed The Terror for Season 2, and the anthology drama is making some big changes both behind the camera and in front of it.
The Terror received a ten-episode renewal order for Season 2, which will be trading in the harsh Arctic setting for a point in history that has been explored throughout many movies and TV shows: World War II. The new storyline will center on a mysterious and uncanny entity that plagues a Japanese-American community, with the story starting in Southern California and heading into the problematic internment camps and the deadly war in the Pacific. The subject of immigration is obviously a hot button issue, and the horrors of World War II are never far from people's memories, so we can possibly expect The Terror Season 2 to face some controversy. Hopefully not, though.
Beyond the altered setting, The Terror Season 2 will also welcome some new faces at the top of the creative pecking order, with Season 1 developer David Kajganich and his co-showrunner Soo Hugh having exited the AMC drama after Season 1 concluded. Taking over as showrunner will be Alexander Woo, who has written and produced for True Blood, Sleeper Cell and Manhattan; he also co wrote the acclaimed HBO biopic The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. And he's extremely excited to bring this particular story to audiences. In his words:
I'm deeply honored to be telling a story set in this extraordinary period. We hope to convey the abject terror of the historical experience in a way that feels modern and relevant to the present moment. And the prospect of doing so with a majority Asian and Asian-American cast is both thrilling and humbling
Joining the more TV-centric Alexander Woo in the story-crafting department will be screenwriter Max Borenstein, who is best known for penning Hollywood's more recent blockbuster creature features like Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island, as well as an upcoming sequel or two. (He also created Fox's short-lived Minority Report remake.) Borenstein, who came up with the pitch for Season 2's story, will be executive producing with Woo, and AMC Productions is producing alongside Scott Free, Emjag Productions and Entertainment 360. As such, Ridley Scott is still on board as an executive producer for Season 2.
The Terror's renewal is far less mysterious than the events that plagued the Royal Navy in Season 1. The show ranked as the #2 new cable drama of the season, and managed to rank in the top ten ad-supported cable dramas. Add to that all the critical and viewer acclaim that followed The Terror, and there was no way AMC would decide to pull the plug.
The Terror Season 2 has yet to go into what will assumedly be a lush and pristine production, so viewers won't get to see it on AMC until some point in 2019. While waiting, head to our summer premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows that are on the way.
