Summary
- Peacock’s Twisted Metal has officially been renewed for a second season, thanks to its incredible fans and popularity.
- Season one quickly became the most binged-watched show on Peacock, with a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith promises new grim foes and an upcoming tournament in season two, along with familiar faces.
Fans of the Peacock adaptation of Twisted Metal have been given an exciting update on the second season of the Anthony Mackie-led video game adaptation. After being renewed early in December, showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith has confirmed with NBC Insider that work is underway on the new season of the action series. He said:
“The [writers’] room has started. We have an amazing team of writers, and we’re discussing the arc of the season and what the first episode might be, looking at the big picture. I’m really excited.”
Smith also teased the arrival of new characters Dollface, Calypso and Axel to the franchise, in what he described as “the tournament season.” He continued:
“I’m excited for fans to see these characters come to life and see what makes them funny and what makes them heartbroken. I think it’s gonna be fun to dive into these people. We introduced a lot of these characters — Preacher, Bloody Mary, John, Quiet, Watts — it’s gonna be fun to put them all in a [single] place at the tournament and have them interact. I’m excited about seeing how does Preacher react to Bloody Mary? How does Grimm react to Sweet Tooth?’ There’s a lot of really fun, interconnective character headspace stuff that I’m really excited to dive into. It feels like a new toy box.”
Word of the series renewal came from series star Anthony Mackie at the 2023 Game Awards on December 7 that Twisted Metal would be continuing at Peacock, as Mackie took the stage to present the award for Best Ongoing Game. Before announcing the winner (Cyberpunk 2077), Mackie thanked the fans for making Twisted Metal the hit it became, and then dropped the unexpected bombshell that a second season is coming.
“I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who watched Twisted Metal on Peacock. No one knows this yet, so you three guys and everybody else is gonna be the first! Because of our incredible fans, Twisted Metal is coming back for Season 2 on Peacock! So everybody get your motor revving, because you’re going on another ride with John Doe.”
Anthony Mackie stars in Twisted Metal as John Doe, who’s tasked with delivering a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Along the way, he meets Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz), and together they battle marauders, religious fanatics, Agent Stone (Thomas Haden Church), and a deranged clown known as Sweet Tooth, whose physical embodiment is portrayed by AEW wrestling star Samoa Joe, and is voiced by Wil Arnett. Joe took to X to react to the announcement with just four words: “Harold, get the keys!”
When it premiered on Peacock on July 27, 2023, Twisted Metal quickly became the platform’s most binged-watched show in its first week, with a majority of viewers getting through three, thirty-minute episodes in a single sitting, and die-hard fans gorging on all 10 episodes at once. It has remained one of the top three Peacock originals of all time, and currently holds a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Combined with the success of HBO’s The Last of Us, the two video game adaptations have set the bar extremely high for existing IPs to make the transition to the small screen. Prime Video recently released the trailer for its live-action Fallout series to much acclaim, and also currently has a God of War adaptation on its plate, while Netflix is looking to bring the popular Horizon series to its streaming service.
In addition to Anthony Mackie’s announcement of Twisted Metal season 2, Peacock also released a video teasing the upcoming continuation. Check it out below:
There are any number of places that Twisted Metal’s second season can go in terms of story, but a big plot point teased at the end of season one, aside from the upcoming tournament, was the appearance of Axel, one of the video game’s most iconic characters. While nothing has been confirmed just yet, Twisted Metal showrunner, executive producer, and writer, Michael Jonathan Smith, said in a statement that fans can expect new grim foes in the series, while at the same time expressing his gratitude to viewers.
“I have to give a Sweet Tooth-sized thank you to our incredible fans – I read every comment and was so blown away by everyone’s love, support, and rabid enthusiasm for a paper bag. We are beyond thankful we get to continue the story of John Doe, Quiet, and Sweet Tooth as they face off against familiar faces and new grim foes in the long-awaited Twisted Metal tournament. The mixtape is made, and I’m thrilled to get back on the road with our stellar cast and crew.”
There’s no word yet on when the second season of Twisted Metal will premiere, or who will be added to the cast, but in the meantime, you can watch the first season on Peacock, and check out the trailer below.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
