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'War of the Worlds' Season 2: Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about EPIX's version of HG Wells classic

Season 1's ending establishes there's a lot left to explain and we can expect the series to drop in sometime around 2021

Spoilers for 'War of the Worlds' Season 1

Epix's 'War of the Worlds' took the world by storm when it premiered in February. The reimagined version of the H.G. Wells classic doesn't take its foot off the pedal since the opening minute, and while there have been enough adaptations of the cult story, this recreated intergalactic threat saga has been a revelation of sorts. For those who hoped for flying saucers,  'Independence Day'-ish scrimmages, emotional and adrenaline-pumping speeches, the slick series makes sure it's past all the man vs aliens plotline. 

Such was the confidence in the series that Studio Canal was gearing up for a potential second season even before the series premiered (via Deadline). Now that season 1 is done, here's what we know about the second installment. 

Release date

Season 2 was supposed to start filming this spring in the UK. However, with the outbreak of the coronavirus, we can expect a significant delay in production. 'War of the Worlds' season 2 might be a bit of a wait. Our best guess would be either the middle or fag end of 2021. 

Plot

The series follows an extraterrestrial invasion that sees half-metallic, half-organic alien creatures kill people. Only babies and certain individuals are left to survive. Astronomer Catherine Durand (Léa Drucker) is the first to make note of queer transmissions that see their arrival to earth.

Elsewhere, Bill Ward (Gabriel Byrne), a neuroscientist, studies these creatures and joins a band of survivors who try and fend-off the alien attack. Among them is a blind teen, Emily Gresham, who has a special connection with the invaders. The final episode sees Emily come into contact with one of the aliens while Catherine figures a solution to temporarily disable the alien creatures. 

The series also sees minor plot points around the supporting characters. Most notable is the one that follows Stephen Campbell Moore as Jonathon Gresham and Stéphane Caillard as Chloe Dumont who try and make it to England after escaping the aliens from France. The ending establishes there's a lot left to explain. 

Cast

Almost all the actors, except Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Bill's ex-wife Helen Brown, are set to reprise their roles. Drucker will return to play Catherine while the following actors will also appear. Adel Bencherif as Colonel Mustafa Mokrani; Emilie de Preissac as Sophia Durand; Natasha Little as Sarah Gresham; Daisy Edgar-Jones as Emily Gresham; Ty Tennant as Tom Gresham; Bayo Gbadamosi as Kariem Gat Wich Machar; Stephen Campbell; Moore as Jonathon Gresham; Stéphane Caillard as Chloe Dumont; Aaron Heffernan as Ash Daniel and Mathieu Torloting as Sacha. 

Writer/Director

Howard Overman, Julian Murphy, Johnny Capps, and Gilles Coulier served as EPs for season 1. By the looks of it, we can expect the four to continue with the second installment as well. 

Trailer

There is no official trailer for season 2 yet. But watch this space for more updates. 

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