Today, Netflix confirmed it’s bringing back The Beast in Me for a second season, with Claire Danes set to return as Aggie Wiggs and reprise her role as an executive producer.
Netflix has secured Howard Gordon, the showrunner of Season 1, under an overall TV deal through his Teakwood Lane Productions banner. The arrangement keeps him developing new series for the streamer while remaining attached to The Beast in Me. Gordon will take on the role of co-showrunner for Season 2, working alongside Daniel Pearle, who served as an executive producer on the first season.
“We always told ourselves we’d only do a second season of ‘The Beast in Me’ if we found a story that was worthy of the first – and I’m thrilled to say we found it,” Gordon said. “We loved making this show and our audience seemed to love watching it, so we’re enormously grateful to Jinny Howe and Netflix, and to Karey Burke and 20th Television for giving us the chance to get the band back together and do it again.”
The Numbers Behind the Renewal
When The Beast in Me was picked up, it was first announced as a limited series, with 2024 marking that moment. This year at the Emmy Awards, the show campaigned as a limited series, and Matthew Rhys took home the award for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series, having starred in Season 1. The series also claimed the Emmy for outstanding music composition for a limited or anthology series, movie or special (original dramatic score).
Despite that initial framing, Netflix and the show’s creators began exploring a second season early this year. They opened a writers’ room to build out new episodes. The move is not surprising given the show’s reception.
Within a week of its premiere, the show opened at number one on the Netflix global top 10 chart and held onto the top 10 for five weeks running. Netflix reported that it amassed more than 43 million views within just seven weeks.
Who Is Back for Season 2
Danes is returning to play Aggie Wiggs, the role she took on in Season 1, and she will be serving as an executive producer again. Gordon continues to be involved with the project as a co-showrunner.
Gabe Rotter, the creator of the show, stays on as an executive producer for the new season. Pearle’s role grows from executive producer to co-showrunner. Here is the complete list of executive producers:
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Showrunner | Howard Gordon |
| Co-showrunner | Daniel Pearle |
| Creator | Gabe Rotter |
| Executive Producer | Claire Danes |
| Executive Producer | Antonio Campos |
| Executive Producer | Caroline Baron |
| Executive Producer | Amy Lippman |
| Executive Producer | Conan O’Brien |
| Executive Producer | David Kissinger |
| Executive Producer | Jeff Ross |
| Executive Producer | Jodie Foster |
What Netflix Said About the Pickup
Netflix’s head of Scripted Series, Jinny Howe, welcomed the renewal. “The series captivated global audiences, delivered extraordinary performances led by Claire Danes, and earned Matthew Rhys a historic Emmy win,” Howe said. “We are incredibly proud of what Howard Gordon, Gabe Rotter, and the entire cast and crew achieved. We can’t wait for audiences to see what Howard and Daniel Pearle have in store for the next season.”
Judged by its critical reception and streaming numbers, the decision to continue the show was simple to make.
Source material: “‘Beast in Me’ Renewed for Season 2 With Claire Danes Returning,” Variety.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.