Netflix
Netflix is taking Untamed beyond Yosemite and into more volatile territory for Season 2, with an all-new setting currently in production and a new addition to the cast: Park Agent Kyle Turner, played once again by Eric Bana.
From Yosemite to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Season 1 of Untamed was rooted in the towering cliffs and cold isolation of Yosemite National Park, using that landscape as both a setting and a pressure cooker for Turner’s investigation. Season 2 explores Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a place defined by vivid terrain, cultural weight, and smoldering tension.
Co-creators and executive producers Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith explained to Netflix site Tudum that the move is about more than just a change of scenery. “We are excited to explore the pristine landscape and cultural identity of a completely different national park and find Turner in a new state of mind outside the comfort of Yosemite,” they said.
The idea of each park having its own identity remains central to the series. “Each national park has a very different cultural and geographical identity,” El Smith added. “Being able to explore those locations through this incident and Turner’s journey is what makes it so appealing in choosing a new park.”
A new case and a changed Kyle Turner
As Season 2 begins, Turner is still recovering from his trauma in Yosemite. Instead, the story picks up about a year and a half later, with the agents already going through multiple parks and investigations. “I don’t think he’s been in the park since Yosemite,” Mark L. Smith told Tudham. “It’s going to take place a year and a half after he left Yosemite. He’s been to a lot of parks. He’s been busy. He’s taking on a lot of cases.”
Mentally, Turner is still living through the long shadow of his son’s death, but the series is interested in what happens next rather than just dragging on the grief. “We’re working on the next steps of what he’s going through and how he’s coping,” Smith said. “In the first season, there was sadness and sadness and all of that. We’re trying to really dig into and focus on the park, which in some ways aligns with Turner.”
That thematic consistency extends to the environment itself. “Our theme is that this park is our protagonist and that this park is alive in a way,” Elle Smith said. “We want to keep that flow. Whatever park we choose will be a character and play a role in Turner’s emotional mindset.”
A new person joins the investigation
Shea Whigham and Kelly Hu
In addition to Bana’s return, Season 2 introduces new characters who will complicate Turner’s latest case. Shea Whigham (American Primeval) joins the cast as Ray Burkhart, a grieving businessman and father who clashes with Turner over investigating his son’s murder.
Kelly Hu (Black Mafia Family) will also be participating as Awapuhi. Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, she has spent the past few years on Oahu, dealing with the death of her son. Now she returns to the Big Island to confront the demons she left behind.
For Bana, continuing Turner’s journey was an easy decision. “We started this with him a long time ago,” Mark L. Smith said of Bana’s involvement. “We’re incredibly excited to continue the journey and leverage what we learned in the first season, what we wanted to do character-wise and what Eric discovered and helped us discover.”
Season 2 of Untamed is currently in production in Hawaii, and Turner’s next case is set in a landscape as unpredictable as the man he investigates.
Netflix
Source link
