One of the best YA adaptations in recent years has announced casting for its second season, which is already in production. Alex Rider, IMDb TV’s fun spy show, which we reviewed here, is adding Toby Stephens, Rakie Ayola, and newcomer Charithra Chandran to its season 2 cast. Black Sails fans will remember Stephens from his leading role as Flint and Harry Potter fans might know Ayola as one of the replacements for Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage show. Most of the main cast from the first season will be returning.
The second season will adapt Eagle Strike, the fourth book in the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, who will be staying on as an Executive Producer. Stephens will be playing tech billionaire Damian Cray; Stephens said of joining the series: “I’m really thrilled to be part of Alex Rider season 2 and working with Eleventh Hour Films again. My son loves the Alex Rider books so it’s lovely to be a part of something that he recognizes and enjoys – and it’s been a while since I played a good nemesis, so I’m really looking forward to being the bad guy and going toe to toe with Alex Rider.”
Ayola will be playing Jo Byrne, the new Deputy Director of the CIA, while Chandran will be playing teen Sabina Pleasance, who has a journalist father who is writing a book on Stephens’s Cray character. Eve Guiterrez, another EP of the series, said: “We are beyond thrilled to have Toby, Rakie, and Charithra on board to bring to life these key characters for season two of Alex Rider. We’ve been incredibly lucky that viewers have enthusiastically embraced the casting of season one and can’t wait to evolve the dynamic further with a fresh mission and even higher stakes.”
Alex Rider really was a fun show, a bright spot in a dark year, so with stars like Stephens joining on, it seems certain that season 2 will be just as compelling. The show does not have a set release date but will premiere on IMDb TV at some point; now we just have to wait.
