Fans of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ are in luck. Netflix has reportedly already ordered a second season of the superhero series based on the Dark Horse comic book written by Gerard Way with art by Gabriel Bá. The adaptation was created by Steve Blackman and premiered on Netflix on February 15, and quickly became the most viewed digital series in the United States. The first season consisted of ten episodes and ended on a cliffhanger, so fans can at least be satisfied that that will be resolved.
It is reported that the second season will go into production in late 2019 and that Peter Hoar, who directed the pilot, will be back to helm the first new episode.
The series follows a group of super-powered individuals who were all born on the same day to women who were not pregnant before suddenly giving birth. The series stars Ellen Page as Vanya, the one child who doesn’t appear to have any super abilities. Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, David Castañeda, Aidan Gallagher, and Justin H. Min portray her siblings. The show also stars Mary J. Blige, Cameron Britton, John Magaro, Adam Godley, and Colm Feore, with Sheila McCarthy, Jordan Claire Robbins, and Kate Walsh.
Way previously reported to Collider that should the show succeed and continue to adapt the comics, it could last for eight seasons.
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“What I did for Steve Blackman (the showrunner) and the writers in that first writers’ room was to create an 18-page document that laid everything out. Even of the graphic novels that haven’t come out yet. Which should equal eight when we’re all done. So I gave them the blueprint for what happens because you do want to seed certain things in there for future series and the hope is that it’s a success so that you do a lot more of these.
“They’re very curious what Gabriel and I are doing next. We always send them the new comics. They really want to know what’s happening.”
Way and Bá have already released two volumes of ‘The Umbrella Academy’, 2007-08’s ‘The Apocalypse Suite’, and 2008-09’s ‘Dallas’. The first season of the show actually incorporated elements of both, but mainly focused on ‘The Apocalypse Suite’. The first storyline won an Eisner Award in its original format for Best Original Miniseries.
The comics were put on hold, as Way pursued his music career as frontman of My Chemical Romance and as a solo artist. After a lengthy hiatus, the first issue of the third storyline, ‘Hotel Oblivion’ was released last October.
In addition to drawing a huge number of viewers, the first season of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ has gotten mostly positive reviews, with it ranking 73% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Are you excited that ‘The Umbrella Academy’ will be returning for more offbeat heroics?
Jax's earliest memory is of watching 'Batman,' followed shortly by a memory of playing Batman & Robin with a friend, which entailed running outside in just their underwear and towels as capes. When adults told them they couldn't run around outside in their underwear, both boys promptly whipped theirs off and ran around in just capes.
