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Gritty Netflix thriller that feels straight out of Taylor Sheridan’s playbook renewed for season 2

Following its 24.6 million-view debut, 'Untamed' will return with Eric Bana reprising his role in an entirely new wilderness mystery

After the success of season 1 of the gritty crime thriller, 'Untamed,' the show is all set to return on Netflix for season 2. But what makes things interesting is that the show is being likened to the works of Taylor Sheridan, as reported by Movie Web. Thanks to its neo-Western-esque wilderness setting, depiction of morally grey characters, and crime narrative, the show satisfies a true Sheridan fan. The first season, which premiered on July 17, follows the life of a crime investigator, Eric Bana, the 'Troy' star, as Kyle Turner, who tries to unravel the mysterious death of a woman in Yosemite National Park. 

The star-studded cast also includes actors Sam Neill, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lily Santiago, Wilson Bethel, Raoul Max Trujillo, William Smillie, Joe Holt, and Josh Randall. The extremely gripping storyline is written by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith. Just within a few days of its launch, the show racked up 24.6 million views, which is double that of its competitor 'Amy Bradley Is Missing' with 12.2 million views, according to Variety. The show ranked as No. 1 on Netflix from July 14 to July 20, per the outlet. 

If, like everyone else, you are wondering why the show is a big hit, hear it straight from the horse's mouth. In an interview with Tudum, Mark gave us some insight into the creative process that brought the series to life. “Everyone thinks of Yosemite as this beautiful place with all the vistas and all the scenery, but we were trying to touch on the dangers that are just beyond that," Mark told the outlet. He added, "I love stripping all the cheats away, stripping all the more modern tools that people can use. It gets down to the character and what they can find within themselves."

What happens in the upcoming season is under wraps, but per the aforementioned outlet, Eric Bana said in his official statement, "I am thrilled that we get the chance to bring another season of ‘Untamed’ to life. The response to season 1 has been a testament to the incredible effort by our crew to deliver something truly unique. I can’t wait to take Kyle on his next journey. Massive thanks to Netflix, John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television, and our fans." In a separate interview, Smith also confirmed to Tudum that season 2 will take place in an entirely new national park. “Each national park has such a different cultural identity, geographical identity," Elle said. "Being able to explore those places through the case and Turner’s journey is what's so fascinating.” 

Speaking of the casting in season 2, the showrunners also revealed, "We’re going to make sure we populate it with characters that are interesting and help him in ways both good and bad." When asked if we will see a character from season 1 again, Mark said,  "We’re trying to figure that stuff out because my God, we loved our cast and we loved the characters that they brought to life. In an ideal world, we would be able to pull something off."