Adolescence: Will There Be A Second Season?

1 month ago

The producers are in talks to bring the hit series back for another go

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It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a ‘limited series’ only stays that way until the ratings roll in. And this is what happened to Adolescence – a series that was intended as a four-part drama but is poised for a reprise.

Masterminded by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham with each episode filmed in one shot, while Netflix hasn’t confirmed anything just yet, the streamer also hasn’t denied Adolescence will return for season 2 – and the rumour mill is certainly turning. In fact, in April 2025, Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B reportedly entered talks with the series creators.

And the latest? A quote from Graham himself after winning Best Actor in a Limited Series at the 2026 Golden Globes. Here’s what he said – plus everything we know so far about Adolescence season 2.

(L to R) Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston, Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller in Adolescence.

Adolescence Season 2: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

According to Deadline, Adolescence’s director Philip Barantini was in talks to return for an Adolescence reprise as of April 2025, along with the co-presidents of production company Plan B Entertainment, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. Gardener said the team was considering how it might ‘widen the aperture’ of the limited series, hoping to ‘stay true to its DNA [and] not be repetitive’. Meanwhile, Kleiner hoped Graham and Thorne would be open to reteaming on the project.

And the latest from Graham confirms the star is certainly thinking about it. Speaking to Deadline following his Golden Globes win, the This is England star said while he ‘cannot’ talk about Adolescence season 2, there is an idea ‘somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind and Jack’s mind[s], and we’ll pull it out in three or four years’.

‘Stay tuned,’ the Brit added, having also bagged three Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the first iteration of Adolescence. At the 2026 Golden Globes, his co-stars Erin Doherty and Owen Cooper bagged gongs for Best Supporting Actress (TV) and Best Supporting Actor (TV) respectively, while the show as a whole bagged Best Limited Series.

Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller in Adolescence

What Will Happen In Adolescence Season 2?

By the sounds of it, Plan B is looking to extend the Adolescence universe, and we think this could be expressed in a couple of ways. One thing is for sure, however: we won’t be returning to Jamie’s story.

One way to ‘widen the aperture’ might be exploring a whole new set of British characters to tell another cautionary tale about youth crime and the insidious forces influencing the behaviour and opinions of our youngest generations. Indeed, Gardner and Kleiner noted to Deadline how Adolescence was a ‘seemingly small, localised, emotional story’ and yet has had a global impact.

However, another strategy could involve resetting the series in the US to explore similar issues against a different yet equally complex backdrop. That said, Kleiner also praised the very British characteristics of Adolescence: ‘Look at the incredible power of UK television,’ he told Deadline. ‘There’s a way things are made [there] that we want to do more of, for sure. Not just in the UK but across Europe.’

Will It Be One Shot Again?

Yes, Adolescence season 2 will most likely be filmed in one shot like season 1. ‘[Director] Phil’s style of doing the episodes in one take is not a gimmick,’ Gardner told Deadline. ‘It’s very much in conversation with the subject matter. In early conversations with Stephen and Jack, they were talking about how it’s too easy to look away. You can look away from the school, you can look away from the police station, you can look away from the counseling, you can look away from the family. In that kind of prismatic way of viewing, you can duck the issue. So our theory was, what would happen if you couldn’t look away? And will that make the subject embed in you in a different way? That was a thrilling thing.’

(L to R) Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller, Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, in Adolescence

What Is Brad Pitt’s Involvement?

Spotted this Hollywood name in the headlines? Brad Pitt is being pegged as a driving force behind Adolescence season 2, but the truth is that the actor has always had a small role in the series: it was produced by his company Plan B Entertainment. Having also worked on TV series like 3 Body Problem, The OA and Feud, Plan B Entertainment is best known for its work in the movie sphere, with everything from Mickey 17 to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, She Said to Beautiful Boy, and Kick Ass 2 to 12 Years A Slave to its name. Plan B bought into Adolescence after Kleiner saw Boiling Point, thinking the one-shot element was worth experimenting with on TV.

So how tied to the day-to-day is Brad Pitt in reality? According to Deadline, the star was pleased about Kleiner’s movements, especially Adolescence’s connection to star Stephen Graham who helped come up with the story. Pitt and Graham worked together on Guy Ritchie film Snatch (2000) and, according to Kleiner, ‘Brad is a massive fan of Stephen’s.’ In fact, ‘[Brad] was part of the energy, drive, and impetus to get [Adolescence] off the ground’ in its early stages, Kleiner says.

(L to R) Ashley Walters as Detective Inspector Bascombe, Faye Marsay as Detective Sergeant Frank

Adolescence’s Impact

Adolescence has topped the news agenda ever since it launched on Netflix in March – and even before then. Our unsettling schoolboy star, Owen Cooper, has landed a role in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation, while the series creators Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham have been doing the rounds to spread the message underpinning the series: British children aren’t safe in a nation with unregulated social media.

Consider the conversation very much sparked. Netflix officials have even teamed up with the government to roll out Adolescence to schools, meaning teenagers can watch the series in the classroom and discuss it with teachers and peers.

At the end of March, Adolescence became Britain’s very first web series to top the nation’s weekly viewing figures. But it’s not just here in the UK that Adolescence is performing: as of 8 April 2025, Adolescence had clinched fourth place in Netflix’s global ranking of English language TV series of all time, having sailed past every season of Bridgerton, Fool Me Once, The Night Agent and The Queen’s Gambit. With 114 million views so far, it seems set to continue climbing the ranks, with DAHMER: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story sitting just above with 115 million viewers (Stranger Things 4 and Wednesday season 1 top the chart with 140 million and 252 million viewers respectively).

All four episodes of Adolescence are available to stream on Netflix.

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Adolescence: Will There Be A Second Season?

Adolescence Season 2: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More