Amazon’s supernatural thriller The Rig has been renewed for a second series, with the cast set to begin filming in Edinburgh later this year.
Amazon Prime announced its original series, which features a host of Scottish stars including Martin Compston and Iain Glen, will return for a second instalment.
The Rig follows the crew of fictional North Sea platform Kinloch Bravo who find themselves cut off from all communication with the mainland by a mysterious fog.
Producers said the show, which premiered on its streaming service in January 2023, had been a “global hit” – though the setting divided some of the North Sea’s real-life workforce.
Following the events of the last season’s finale, the next series will begin with helicopters having taken the surviving crew of to a new location, where “new dangers” await.
The crew will have to contend with “swirling conspiracies, conflicts, and new threats from the dark depths of the world’s oceans,” producers said.
‘More shocks and thrills’
It will will also continue to explore themes about the past, present, and future of the planet, while delivering “epic thrills and gripping action”.
Alongside Iain Glen and Martin Compston, other stars are set to reprise their roles including Emily Hampshire, Rochenda Sandall, Owen Teale, Mark Addy, Molly Vevers, Abraham Popoola and Stuart McQuarrie, alongside a host of new faces set to join the team.
“The Rig’s popularity around the world is a testament to the fantastic ensemble cast and the vision of the creators—the crew behind the crew,” said Dan Grabiner, head of Originals UK & Northern Europe for Prime Video.“We can’t wait to welcome back Iain, Martin, and Emily, and see what writer and creator David Macpherson has in store for the Kinloch Bravo team next.”
“It was always my aim to build a story that starts in Scotland but speaks to a global audience about global themes,” said the show’s writer and creator David Macpherson.
“In series two, I’m looking forward to expanding the world of our show through the eyes of our excellent cast, as we deliver more shocks and thrills and delve deeper into both our characters’ and our show’s expanding original mythology.”
Filming to begin later this year
The series was Amazon’s first venture to be filmed entirely in Scotland, with Martin Compston – who has his own links to the north-east energy sector – last year noting how thrilled he was to be “on a job in Scotland that had such ambition.”
Production will return to FirstStage Studios in Edinburgh, with filming due to start later this year.
The new series will then launch exclusively on Prime Video, available to watch in over 240 countries.
It is the second UK original drama to be renewed by Amazon in recent months, following the success of The Devil’s Hour, starring Peter Capaldi.