Madrid-based The Mediapro Studio, the high-end drama production-distrubution arm of media giant Mediapro, has kicked off pre-production on Season 2 of “The Head,” whose first season was a massive global hit for the company which has already released in 90 countries.

Continuing with the show’s key themes of isolation and the struggle between good and evil, often highlighting the grey areas in between, Season 2 will relocate from the South Pole to an ocean freighter on a scientific mission.

Set at a remote polar research station in the dark of winter, “The Head” Season 1 utilized tricks of time and perspective to slowly uncover the details of a grizzly series of murders, started by a decapitation, at one of earth’s most isolated human habitats, an Antarctic research station over the winter months. When the summer staff flies off to leave a skeleton crew behind all is well, but after an unexpected radio silence, tensions are high as the helicopter returns in spring only to discover a grizzly scene.

International by nature, the series starred well-known actors from several countries, including BAFTA nominee John Lynch (“The Fall”), Álvaro Morte (“Money Heist”), Katharine O’Donnelly (“Mary Queen of Scotts”), Tomohisa Yamashita (“Code Blue the Movie”) and Mónica López (“En la ciudad”).

Season 1 was directed by Jorge Dorado (“The Department of Time”), who returns to take the reigns for Season 2. Genre TV specialist and Season 1 executive producer Mariano Baselga (“The Boarding School”) and playwright Jordi Galcerán (“The Grönholm Method,” “Burundanga”) have stepped in as co-screenwriters for the new season.

Former Keshet executive and “Homeland” producer Ran Tellem, now director of international content development at The Mediapro Studio, will lead storyline development for series, having co-created and executive produced Season 1. Also returning are executive producers Laura Fernández Espeso, Javier Mendez and Bernat Elias. The Mediapro Studio Distribution will continue to handle global distribution of the series.

“With this second season, ‘The Head’ becomes one of the Studio’s greatest franchises and we are immensely satisfied, not only with the commercial success of the series, which has been sold to more than 25 clients and is present in 90 countries; but it has also proved an enormous hit with audiences. All these factors contributed to making possible for us to announce the production of its second season,” said Fernández Espeso, CEO at The Mediapro Studio.

For his part, Tellem added: “Since we announced the project ‘The Head’ has been an amazing adventure, a challenging journey, whose achievements, having been on screens in more than 90 countries, receiving great response worldwide from the U.S. to Japan to Scandinavia to France. The millions of viewers worldwide have shown us what we are capable of doing when talent and means go together hand in hand. Continuing this story is a challenge and a true passion for us as creators.”

In industry terms, “The Head” Season 1 was one of the biggest drama series productions at Mediapro, one of Europe’s largest independent TV-film groups. Produced by the company’s The Mediapro Studio with Hulu Japan and HBO Asia. Season 2 promises a similar level of ambition and international reach in both production and eventual sales.

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