We've got all the buzz on Yellowjackets season 2!
Get ready to put those theories to rest because the highly-anticipated, sophomore season of Showtime's hit-survival series is quickly approaching and all of your burning questions are soon to be answered.
Part survival epic, part psychological horror and part coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets chronicles four women bonded by a 1996 plane crash that stranded their high school soccer team in the brutal Canadian wilderness for 19 months.
Not only does the show explore how the teens survived in the wild, but the narrative shifts between 1996 and 2021 as their adult counterparts are plagued by an anonymous stalker who blackmails them with the mysterious truth of what went down in the woods.
Season 2 received an immediate renewal after it garnered critical acclaim early in its first season last November. Since then, the show has received numerous accolades, including seven Emmy Award nominations.
From the cast members slated to return and when it will be released, here's everything to know about Yellowjackets season 2.
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Who is starring in Yellowjackets season 2?
The core four Yellowjackets are returning for the next round. Melanie Lynskey and Christina Ricci are reprising their Emmy-nominated roles as Shauna and Misty, respectively — in addition to Juliette Lewis as Natalie and Tawny Cypress as Taissa ("Tai").
The actresses who play the younger versions of the aforementioned characters are also slated to reprise their roles in Yellowjackets season 2. They include Sophie Nélisse as Shauna, Samantha Hanratty as Misty, Sophie Thatcher as Natalie and Jasmin Savoy Brown as Tai.
In August, Showtime announced that Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood is joining the Yellowjackets cast in a season-long guest arc. Wood is set to play Walter, described as a citizen detective "who will challenge Misty in ways she won't see coming," per a network release.
The network also confirmed that Lauren Ambrose has been cast as the adult version of Vanessa "Van" Palmer. Liv Hewson, who portrayed the teenage version of the character in season 1, was upped to a series regular for round two.
Additionally, Showtime confirmed that Simone Kessell will be portraying the grown-up version of Lottie Matthews played in her teen years by actress Courtney Eaton — who has also been upped to series regular in season 2.
In December 2022, it was announced that Lynskey's husband, Jason Ritter, will appear in one episode of the show's sophomore season. "It's really fun to get to work with somebody who is creative and interesting and does something different every take," Lynskey told Variety.
In January, Variety revealed that Nicole Maines, François Arnaud and Nia Sondaya have been cast in recurring roles. Sondaya is set to step in as Teen Akilah in a recasting, with Keeya King exiting the series.
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What is Yellowjackets season 2 about?
In an interview with Variety published in May, creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson said they are calling the upcoming season "The Winter of Their Discontent" (a reference to John Steinbeck 1961 novel The Winter of Our Discontent and a quote from William Shakespeare's Richard III).
Although production on the sophomore season commenced in the summer, Lyle revealed that they plan to revisit "the winter storyline" the stranded Yellowjackets soccer team was facing in Canada when season 1 concluded.
An official season 2 synopsis has yet to be revealed, but cast members have already spilled some insight as to what fans can expect.
"I can't really get too much into detail, but I will say the first couple scripts had the entire cast gasping," Ricci told Entertainment Tonight. "So it's even wilder: more crazy, more shocking, and really compelling and fun."
Steven Krueger, who's reprising his role as Coach Ben, told TV Insider that season 2 is a "whole new ballgame" and emphasized the events that are set to unfold within the winter timeline. "It's going to get dire out there with little food and the challenge of staying warm and alive," Krueger said.
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When did Yellowjackets season 2 start filming?
Due to the show's instantaneous success upon its release, season 2 was given the green light in December 2021 before the season one finale even aired. Production for the second season officially began on August 31 in Vancouver, Canada.
How many episodes will Yellowjackets season 2 have?
Season 1 of Yellowjackets consisted of 10 episodes, but the exact number of episodes for season 2 have yet to be announced.
Is there a trailer for Yellowjackets season 2?
Showtime released the first teaser in December 2022. The short clip shows a wintry scene, which prominently features the unexplained stick-figure symbol of a person with a line through their torso — which was found beneath the dead man in the cabin in season 1.
On Jan. 13, 2023, Showtime released another teaser for season 2.
"Allow yourself to go back, no matter how difficult it gets," Lottie (Kessell) says over clips of a snow-covered plane crash and other dramatic memories. "What do you see?"
Natalie (Lewis) responds, "Darkness. We brought it back with us."
Wood also appears in the trailer as Citizen Detective Walter. "Kidnapping, cults, death," he tells Ricci's character. "Your friendships are a little more complicated than most."
Unsurprisingly, there appears to be a good amount of gore and violence on the way.
Showtime finally released the first full trailer for Yellowjackets season 2 on March 9, 2023. The clip teased the dark drama to come in the new season, showing snowy mountains, blood on adult Lottie's hands and Natalie unwillingly restrained to a bed.
"Once upon a time, there was a place called the wilderness. It was beautiful, but it was also violent and misunderstood," young Vanessa (Hewson) tells her fellow soccer teammates. "And it waited and waited to befriend whoever arrived."
Later in the trailer, adult Lottie (Kessell) says, "I thought we left it there when we were rescued. But now, I realize, we brought it back with us."
Melanie Lynskey Often Auditioned Against Yellowjackets Costar Christina Ricci in the '90s
When will Yellowjackets season 2 premiere?
Showtime announced that Yellowjackets will return for its highly-anticipated second season starting Friday, March 24 on streaming and on demand for all subscribers of the network, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Will there be a Yellowjackets season 3?
Although season 2 hasn't premiered yet, fans are already buzzing about whether or not Yellowjackets will be renewed for a third season — and lucky for them, it has! Showtime confirmed that the survival series is being revived for a third installment in December 2022.
While little information is known about the future of the hit series (like what it will be about and when it will be released) Lyle and Nickerson revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that they originally pitched the series as a five-season story — so fans, there's likely a lot more Yellowjackets in your future!