Disney+ has announced two huge additions to the cast of ‘Rivals’ Season 2, as Hayley Atwell (Mission Impossible, Agent Carter) and Rupert Everett (Napoleon, My Policeman) sign on as guest stars in the much-anticipated return of the glossy British drama.
Based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s bestselling novel, ‘Rivals’ dives back into the glamorous, high-stakes world of 1980s television, with power plays, scandal, and secrets colliding against the backdrop of the Cotswolds.
Atwell will be stepping into the role of Helen Gordon, ex-wife of Rupert Campbell-Black and mother of his two children, Marcus and Tabitha. Everett plays Malise Gordon, Helen’s husband and Campbell-Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor, promising some juicy confrontations when the series returns.
They’ll be joined by fresh faces including Maxim Ays (Boarders, Sanditon), Holly Cattle (Young Sherlock, Mr Loverman), Oliver Dench (Hotel Portofino, Domina), Amanda Lawrence (Malory Towers, Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Bobby Lockwood (Wolfblood, Here We Go), Eliot Salt (Slow Horses, Normal People), and Jonny Weldon (One Day, Brassic).
Alongside the new arrivals, plenty of familiar faces from Season 1 will be back in Rutshire. Returning cast includes Wendy Albiston (Coronation Street, After Life) as Mrs Makepiece, Jamie Bisping (Piglets, Alien: Earth) as Kevin Makepiece, Denise Black (Queer As Folk, The Last Tree) as Joyce Madden, Timothy Blore (Unsinkable, The War Masters) as Bobby Riches, Hubert Burton (Wolf Hall, Living) as Gerald Middleton, Antony Byrne (Karenina, The Wind that Shakes the Barley) as Ginger Baines, David Calder (The World Is Not Enough, Motherland) as Reverend Penny, Selina Griffiths (The Larkins, Cuckoo) as Dame Enid Spink, Bryony Hannah (Call The Midwife, Unforgotten) as Dierdre Kilpatrick, Olivia Poulet (In the Loop, Back) as Hermoine Hampshire, Maggie Steed (Ten Percent, Silent Witness) as Lady Gosling, plus many more from the large ensemble.
The second season will feature an expanded twelve episodes, promising even more wit, desire, and drama as careers, marriages, and reputations hang in the balance. Executive Director of Scripted Originals for Disney+ EMEA, Lee Mason, said:
“Rivals is a landmark series for Disney+, quickly becoming one of our most beloved British UK Orginal dramas. I’m delighted to welcome Hayley and Rupert to our extraordinary family of actors. They are a perfect match for the world of Rutshire, so lovingly created by Dame Jilly and the team at Happy Prince.”
Production comes from Happy Prince (part of ITV Studios), with returning producers Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Alexander Lamb, and Dame Jilly Cooper involved alongside writers including Laura Wade, Sophie Goodhart, Sam Hoare, Kefi Chadwick, Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor, Sorcha Kurien-Walsh and Dare Aiyegbayo. Directors for Season 2 include Elliot Hegarty, Jamie J Johnson and Dee Koppang O’Leary.
‘Rivals’ Season 2 will premiere on Disney+ in the UK and internationally, and on Hulu in the US. Season 1 is available to stream now on Disney+.
‘Rivals’ Season 2 does not yet have a premiere date, but will air on Disney+ in the UK. If I want to keep track of this or any other shows, I can add them via our Never Miss system, and I’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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