‘Yellowjackets’ Cast Hint at Epic Episode in New Season | SXSW 2023

Yellowjackets made waves when its splashy first season premiered in November of 2021, gaining a larger and larger captive audience with each episode. The show chronicles the lives of a high school soccer team stranded on a remote island after a plane crash. The second season premieres on Showtime’s streaming and on-demand platforms March 24, before airing on the network that March 26 at 9 p.m.

Ahead of the show’s return, Yellowjackets got a pop-up, immersive experience at the South by Southwest Film Festival, called “Camp Yellowjackets,” where visitors could experience a recreation of an abandoned campground, similar to the wilderness setting in the past timeline on the coming-of-age thriller drama. And cast members Tawny Cypress, Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Nélisse, Kevin Alves, and Steven Krueger were on site with The Hollywood Reporter for a candid conversation about their hotly anticipated upcoming season.

“I think we were all pretty terrified” to return for season two,” says Cypress, who stars as the adult version of Taissa (the show flips between the past and present). Asked about when they knew season two would be something special, Hanratty, who plays young Misty, was quick to respond: “Reading the first two episodes.” Adds Alves, who plays teen Travis: “The second episode, especially,” to which Hanratty replied, “The second episode I was like, ‘Wow.'”

While most of the cast is the same as season one (except for new faces Simone Kessell, playing older Lottie, Lauren Ambrose, as older Van and Elijah Wood, as a new character), the cast commended the crew of season two, who were almost entirely new faces. Asked about the challenges they faced this season, Hanratty explained: “Me and Sophie [Nélisse] struggled with this — we wear contacts in the show … This season is very emotional, and it is so hard to cry with these thick lenses in.” For the adult cast, weighing in on the most challenging aspect of performing this time around proved cryptic: “The most difficult thing that happens for the adults is our biggest secret,” says Cypress.

The series’ first season was nominated for seven Emmys: best drama series, twice in writing for a drama, once in directing, in casting, supporting actress for Christina Ricci and lead actress for Melanie Lynskey.

Check out the full THR conversation in the player above.