Sky Announce Commission Of Second Series Of Britannia

Sky has announced the commission of a second season of its original production Britannia, with filming due to begin this spring.

Viewers are set to journey back into the deep, dark and unruly world of Britannia, as a second series of the unique Sky original production is coming to Sky Atlantic and TV streaming service NOW TV in 2019.

Written by multi-award winning Jez Butterworth and Tom Butterworth and starring David Morrissey, Kelly Reilly, Zoë Wanamaker and Mackenzie Crook, Britannia launched earlier this year to great critical acclaim.

The series was the biggest Sky original production launch on Sky Atlantic since Fortitude series 1, with the first episode watched by a cumulative audience of 1.88 million. To date, the series in total has had more than 10 million downloads and views on demand through Sky set top boxes, the Sky Go app and TV streaming service NOW TV. It's also been the most downloaded Sky series in Ultra HD and has been sold in 206 territories worldwide.

Set in 43AD, the drama followed the Roman army as they returned to crush the Celtic heart of Britannia, a mysterious land led by warrior women and powerful Druids who claim to channel the powerful forces of the underworld. Like never before, the nine-part series told the story of the emotional and physical power struggles between three tribes: the Druids, Celts and Romans, who battle for the heart of Britannia. Series two, written by Jez, Tom AND JOHN-HENRY Butterworth, will continue to explore the life of the Celts and Druids now living under Roman rule.

Cameron Roach, commissioning editor for drama at Sky, said: "The first series of Britannia brought Jez's unique vision to life. The series is a tale of clashing faith systems, torn apart families, mystic men and fearsome queens, all told with humour, heart, epic drama and violence. Drama on Sky is about the unexpected, the visceral and the memorable, it's about stories told in a way you won't find anywhere else. That's why we are delighted to be working with Jez and the production team on the next instalment."

Britannia was created by Jez Butterworth (Spectre), Tom Butterworth (Tin Star) and James Richardson (Monsters). Series two of Britannia will be written by Jez, Tom and John-Henry Butterworth. Produced by Rupert Ryle-Hodges (Downton, The Hollow Crown ) and executive produced by Vertigo Films' James Richardson (Monsters), Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Nicolas Brown from Neal Street Productions (Penny Dreadful) and Jez and Tom Butterworth.

All nine episodes of the first series of Britannia are available to watch on Sky Atlantic and TV streaming service NOW TV.

(MH)