The Mare of Easttown season 2's chances just got a lot worse. Created by Brad Ingelsby, the HBO series premiered in 2021 starring Emmy and Academy Award winner Kate Winslet as a detective named Mare investigating the murder of a young girl and the disappearance of another in a small town outside Philadelphia. Mare of Easttown was originally conceived as a limited series, though its critical and commercial success opened the door for a potential season 2, with Winslet and Ingelsby sharing a few encouraging updates on its chances.
However, Mare of Easttown season 2's chances appear to have gotten a lot worse. Per Variety, Mark Ruffalo is set to star in a new HBO limited series created by Brad Ingelsby. The new show is still untitled but is said to follow “a task force of law enforcement officers and the criminals they are trying to apprehend.” Due to the writers' strike, there is no timetable to start production. The series also marks a return to HBO for Ruffalo who previously starred in the movie The Normal Heart and the miniseries I Know This Much Is True.
Will Mare of Easttown Season 2 Still Happen?
The news of Ingelsby and Ruffalo's new show suggests that, after the writers' strike is over, it will be prioritized at HBO over Mare of Easttown season 2, meaning the latter might not happen until much later or perhaps even never. It's an unexpected blow to Mare of Easttown season 2's chances after its creator and star shared some promidates. Winslet said she wants to play Mare again and revealed there have been conversations about season 2. If it does happen, she thinks the story should address the police atrocities that exist in America.
Ingelsby has echoed Winslet's interest in season 2, saying that finding the right story to compete with season 1 is the only issue preventing it from happening. In the meantime, HBO will move forward with Ingelsby's other show which also happens to focus on law enforcement officers and criminals. The new limited series is part of Ingelsby's 3-year overall deal with HBO, meaning that perhaps later on down the line, he will revisit Mare of Easttown season 2 and make it happen.
Source: Variety