There were many original Netflix TV shows in 2021 that premiered to wide, wonderful acclaim from critics and audiences alike, such as Mike Flanagan’s horrifying miniseries Midnight Mass or the third season of You, for instance. However, one that really managed to stand out among the rest for its unique, heartwarming, and equally heartbreaking take on the post-apocalyptic fantasy genre is Sweet Tooth, which has a second season coming to Netflix in 2023.
Based on the popular DC Comics series of the same name by writer and artist Jeff Lemire, the comparatively lighter adaptation takes place in a world ravaged by a deadly virus in which a young boy with human/deer genetics and his protective adult companion seek a safe haven for others like him while struggling to evade human survivors who hate his kind. Considering how the story left off in the season finale, it should have been a relief to fans that Sweet Tooth Season 2 is in the works. The following are all the most essential facts that we know about one of the most anticipated upcoming DC TV shows, starting with when fans with a Netflix subscription should tune in.
What Is The Sweet Tooth Season 2 Premiere Date?
Nearly two years after its Emmy Award-winning first run dropped on Netflix, fans will be able to see the next chapter of one of the platform’s best fantasy TV shows unfold when Season 2 premieres on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Netfllix confirmed that Sweet Tooth Season 2 was greenlit by sending each of the main cast members a large, specially made chocolate bar, in reference to Gus’ eponymous affinity for candy. A video posted to the series’ official Twitter account captured their glowing reactions.
Christian Convery And Nonso Anozie Return To Lead The Sweet Tooth Season 2 Cast
The trailer (which we’ll get to) confirms that many favorites from the Sweet Tooth cast are reprising their roles – including Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Dania Ramirez, Neil Sandilands, and Adeel Akhtar. Netflix’s official blog, Tudum, also confirmed these names, along with the return of Will Forte as Richard “Pubba” Fox, Stephania LaVie Owen as Becky, Aliza Vellani as Rani Singh, and James Brolin as the Narrator.
Actors who had recurring roles in Season 1 – namely Naledi Murray as Wendy and Marlon Wiliams as Johnny Abbott – have been promoted to series regulars, along with newcomers Christopher Sean Cooper Jr. as a hybrid named Teddy, and Yonas Kibreab as another named Finn. We can also expect to see more diversity in the Sweet Tooth Season 2 cast, following a report by the New Zealand Herald noting that the National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing published a casting call revealing that the show sought young actors who are deaf, hard of hearing, or well-versed in sign language for an unspecified recurring role. That same casting call also strongly encouraged people who identify as transgender or non-binary to seek an audition.
Sweet Tooth Season 2 Looks Even Darker From The Trailer
The Sweet Tooth Season 1 finale involved many heart-wrenching plot twists and stunning revelations, including Captain Abbot (Neil Sandilands) and the Last Men capturing Gus (Christian Convery) and bringing him to the sympathetic Dr. Aditya Singh (Adeel Akhtar), inciting Aimee (Dania Ramirez) and Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie) to plan an eventual rescue. The first official trailer for the next part of the story (as seen below) teases what to expect next and, from the looks of it, we can expect a few dark turns:
For instance, Gus appears to be fed up with his struggle to outrun a potentially tragic fate by the way he utters, “I am done hiding!” before, seemingly, attacking a human guard at the Sweet Tooth Season 2 teaser’s final crescendo. We can also expect to see more of the other young hybrids whom our title character met at the end of the finale.
Expect A New Wave Of The Sick, A Rescue Mission, And Secrets Of Gus’ Past To Be Revealed
According to Tudum, Sweet Tooth Season 2 picks up where the first season left off and sees Gus held captive with a group of other young hybrids like him, where he collaborates with Dr. Singh to help him find a cure for the Sick, which is still threatening what is left of humanity. This leads the half-boy, half-deer to learn more about himself and his connection to the Great Crumble’s origins and, meanwhile, Jepperd and Aimee seek to free the young hybrids.
According to a press release put out by Netflix in tandem with the renewal announcement, the new season will last a total of eight episodes – each of which will be one-hour long. The same number of episodes were produced for the debut season of Sweet Tooth, which 60 million households “tuned in” to watch within its first four weeks on the streaming platform.
Sweet Tooth Season 2 Was Filmed In New Zealand In 2022
Principal photography for the second season began in early 2022 and would, once again, take place in New Zealand. This was first confirmed in July 2021 by the country’s own TVNZ during their interview with showrunner Jim Mickle, who will also be wearing a lot of hats for the series’ sophomore run. Netflix announced that filming had wrapped in June 2022 with a behind-the-scenes video narrated by James Brolin.
Sweet Tooth is just one of many fantasy stories on the big and small screen for which the sweeping, idyllic country of New Zealand has served as the filming location. Other notable titles filmed in the South Pacific nation include Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies (Hobbit prequel trilogy included) and Netflix’s live-action reboot of the hit anime, Cowboy Bebop, which also premiered in 2021.
Showrunner Jim Mickle Returns To Write, Direct, And Executive Produce Sweet Tooth Season 2
Jim Mickle, who helmed four episodes of the first season, will continue directorial duties on Season 2 for an unspecified number of episodes, in addition to leading the writers’ room again. An official press release from Netflix quotes the filmmaker – who also co-developed the series with Arrow writer Beth Schwartz – as “excited to continue our collaboration with Netflix and keep following Gus and his friends on their extraordinary journey.”
Mickle is also known for helming horror movies like Stake Land and We Are What We Are, and the 2019 Netflix original sci-fi movie, In the Shadow of the Moon. His last major TV project was the acclaimed Neo-Western TV show, Hap and Leonard, which he adapted from Joe R. Lansdale’s 1990 novel, Savage Season, with his frequent collaborator Nick Damici.
Robert Downey Jr. Is Also Returning To Executive Produce Sweet Tooth Season 2
Jim Mickle also shares his executive producer’s credit with someone who is certainly well-versed in comic book adaptations: Robert Downey Jr. The Academy Award-nominated actor who is better known for his impressively long stint as Iron Man in the Marvel movies will continue his position as executive producer on Sweet Tooth Season 2 as part of Team Downey - a production company he co-founded in 2010.
Other members of Team Downey who executive produce Sweet Tooth include Susan Downey (the company’s co-founder and Robert’s wife), Amanda Burrell, and Linda Moran, along with producer Evan Moore. Oanh Ly, who previously worked with Netflix as a writer for the Archie Comics-inspired series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, is also joining the Sweet Tooth crew for Season 2 as a co-executive producer.
The first season of Sweet Tooth was already a game changer for its clever, unbelievably timely social commentary and depiction of a dystopian society with a uniquely whimsical tone. It appears that Sweet Tooth Season 2 is looking to one-up itself.
