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The Mediapro Studio has unveiled first key cast for Season 2 of crime thriller “The Head,” one of its biggest international hits, with John Lynch (“The Terror,” “In the Name of the Father”) and Katharine O’Donnelly (“Mary Queen of Scotts,” “Clique”) reprising their lead roles as biologist Arthur Wilde and young doctor Maggie Mitchell.

They will be joined by the Spanish actor of Armenian-Lebanese origin Hovik Keuchkerian who shot to fame playing Moscow in “Money Heist,” as well as Ireland’s Moe Dunford (“Vikings”), Sweden’s Josefin Nelden (“The Restaurant”) and British thesp Olivia Morris (“Hotel Portofino”). More substantial name cast will be announced in upcoming weeks.

A huge global hit for The Mediapro Studio, the production-distribution arm of media giant Mediapro, “The Head” is heralded by the company as a model for high-end success: It clinched some 25 distribution deals and aired in 90 countries, allowed The Mediapro Studio to retain a large part of the IP and promised to become the basis for a franchise.

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The last has now become a reality. Season 2 shifts setting from a glacial polar research station in the dark of an Antarctic winter to an equally isolated and inaccessible setting, an ocean freighter carrying a scientific mission. It will reprise the confrontation between good and evil that already marked the first instalment, The Mediapro Studio announced Thursday.

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Jorge Dorado (“The Pier”), will once more direct.  “Homeland” executive producer Ran Tellem, director of international content development at The Mediapro Studio and an executive producer and co-creator of the first season, is leading development of the series’ plot. He is joined by writers Mariano Baselga (“Código Implacable”), executive producer of the first season, and playwright-writer Jordi Galcerán, author of hits such as “The Method,” “Burundanga,” “Carnival” and “El Crédito.”

Also returning are executive producers Laura Fernández Espeso, Javier Méndez and Bernat Elías. The Mediapro Studio Distribution will continue to handle global distribution of the series.

” ‘The Head’ has been a key title in the international strategy of The Mediapro Studio. Shot in English, the first season has been sold and aired in 90 countries to excellent results, opening doors to news markets and clients with whom we hadn’t worked before,” said Laura Fernández Espeso, CEO of The Mediapro Studio.

“This success has made possible the continuation of the franchise with a new and passionate instalment whose shoot will begin in the next months,” she added.

Embraced by reviewers for its sense of place, pace and constantly shifting perspectives – “Watching this, I could practically feel the ice crystals forming on my beard — and I don’t even have a beard,” said the Financial Times’ Suzi Feay, the first instalment of “The Head” broke viewership records on Hulu Japan and HBO Asia.

Releases took in multiple major markets and platforms: U.S. (HBO), Latin America (HBO), U.K. (Starzplay), Germany (Starzplay), France (Canal Plus) and Italy (Amazon Prime Video).

The series has also been made available in Netherlands (Amazon Prime Video), Portugal (AXN), Belgium (Streamz), Baltic States (Go3 and NENT), Latvia (TET),  Estonia (ETV), Russia (Yandex), Middle East and North Africa (Watch It), Australia (SBS), Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland (NENT Group), among others. In Spain, the series premiered on Orange TV and since last November is also available on Disney Plus.

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