PHILIPPINES – January 8, 2014 – The second season of Emmy-winning Banshee is set to premiere in Asia on January 17, at 10 p.m., within a week of its US premiere.
Executive produced by Jonathan Tropper, David Schickler, Peter Macdissi, Alan Ball and Greg Yaitanes, the ten episode season will air exclusively on Cinemax, with a new hour-long episode premiering every Friday in the same timeslot.
The gritty action drama is a Cinemax original series, and stars Antony Starr (Rush) as Lucas Hood, an ex-con and master thief who assumes the identity of the sheriff of Banshee, Pa., where he continues his criminal activities, even as he’s being hunted by the shadowy gangsters he betrayed years earlier. Other returning cast regulars include Ivana Milicevic (Charlie’s Angels) as Carrie Hopewell, a notorious jewel thief who now lives in Banshee under an assumed identity with her new family who knows nothing of her past; Ulrich Thomsen (The Celebration) as Kai Proctor, an intimidating, wealthy businessman who believes he is above the law; Frankie Faison (The Good Wife) as Sugar Bates, a powerful and wise former boxer and ex-con who is now the owner of the local watering hole; and Hoon Lee (Premium Rush) as Job, a dangerous transvestite computer hacker who assists Lucas in his criminal enterprises.
Returning cast regulars also include Rus Blackwell (Burn Notice) as Banshee’s district attorney, Gordon Hopewell, a Gulf War hero who is married to Carrie; Matt Servitto (The Sopranos) as Brock Lotus, the longest-serving deputy in the Banshee sheriff department; Demetrius Grosse (Justified) as Emmett Yawners, a deputy in the Banshee sheriff department; Trieste Kelly Dunn (Brothers and Sisters) as Siobhan Kelly, a spitfire female deputy in the sheriff’s department; Lili Simmons (Fat Kid Rules the World) as Rebecca Bowman, an Amish girl in her early 20s who lives a devout life by day, but is a rebellious, sexually adventurous party girl by night; Ryann Shane (Blue Bloods) as Deva Hopewell, Carrie and Gordon’s rebellious daughter; Anthony Ruivivar (Southland) as Alex Longshadow, the son of Kinaho Tribe Chief Benjamin Longshadow; and Ben Cross (Star Trek) as Mr. Rabbit, a ruthless Ukrainian gangster who has been hunting Lucas and Carrie, his former top thieves, for 15 years. Odette Annable (House M.D.) returns as Native American assassin Nola Longshadow.
New guest stars include Zeljko Ivanek (True Blood) as Jim Racine, a chain-smoking, renegade FBI agent who has been tracking Rabbit for 15 years; Tatanka Means (The Host) as Hoyt Rivers, head of security for Alex Longshadow; and Julian Sands (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), as Rabbit’s younger brother, a brilliant, devout and amoral Ukrainian priest who is just as dangerous.
In September, Banshee received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role.
The first season, which began in January 2013, received critical raves, with the Hollywood Reporter calling it “taut, entertaining and smart,” and the Wall Street Journal describing the show as “enticing” and “indisputably satisfying.”
Banshee writers include by Jonathan Tropper, David Schickler, Evan Dunsky (Rectify), John Romano (Third Watch) and Doug Jung (Big Love). Directors this season include Greg Yaitanes, Ole Christian Madsen (Flame and Citron), Babak Najafi (Easy Money 2) and Loni Peristere (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
