Spy thriller series, Alex Rider, has been greenlit for a second season.
Off the back of its successful first season, the Amazon Prime and IMDb TV-produced series has been confirmed with an early renewal and will be based on Eagle Strike, the fourth novel in Anthony Horowitz’s best-selling franchise.
The British spy thriller stars Otto Farrant as the eponymous character, who is recruited by a subdivision of MI6 as a teenage spy to infiltrate places that others are unable to — basically, he’s a young James Bond.
In an interview with NME back in June upon the release of the first season, lead star Farrant said it was a show that appealed to “all audiences”.
“We wanted to breathe new life into [the story] so that it could appeal to all audiences, no matter what age you are. It’s got a dark edge, it’s action-packed, it’s gritty and thrilling. For younger people who are about 11 or 12, it’s on that cusp of being a little bit grown-up that they’ll want to watch it even more, but not so grown up that they’re not allowed to.”
According to Brad Beale, Vice President, Worldwide Content Acquisition for Prime Video, the first “incredible” season of the show has “resonated brilliantly with Prime members because of its mix of suspense, entertainment and drama,” and the second season will be no exception.
“As audiences discover the escapist adventure that is Alex Rider season one, there is no better time to confirm the thrilling story will absolutely continue with a second season,” said Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of Content and Programming for IMDb TV.
The Alex Rider series has 18 novels in the franchise and have been a popular staple among young adult readers since their debut.
In 2006, a very young Alex Pettyfer starred alongside Mickey Rourke, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Alicia Silverstone, Sarah Bolger, Stephen Fry and Ewan McGregor in Stormbreaker (based on the first book) and the success of the film is what inspired the series.
As with Alex Rider season one, author Horowitz, the author of the book franchise, will serve as an Executive Producer alongside Jill Green, Eve Gutierrez, and series writer Guy Burt.