Netflix announced a release date for the second season of Anne With an E.
The CBC-co-produced series will be made available to all Netflix subscribers outside of Canada July 6, the series will premiere in September in Canada.
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The series, inspired by Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables books according to Deadline, created by Moira Walley-Beckett and produced by Miranda de Pencier’s Northwood Entertainment, was renewed for a second season in August. Its order for a second season was increased from eight to 10 episodes.
The streaming giant also released a trailer for the upcoming season.
The show follows Anne (Amybeth McNulty), an outside who, against all odds, fights for love, acceptance, and her place in the world. Season 2 will see new characters and continues to explore themes of identity, prejudice, feminism, bullying, gender parity and empowerment.
Cast members Geraldine James, R.H. Thomson, Corrine Koslo, Dalila Bela, Aymeric Jett Montaz, Lucas Zumann and Kyla Matthews return for Season 2, along with newcomers Dalmar Abuzeid (Sebastian Lacroix) and Cory Grüter-Andrew (Cole MacKenzie).
Anne With an E is executive produced by de Pencier, Walley-Beckett, Debra Hayward, Alison Owen and Ken Girotti. John Calvert is also a producer.
Netflix also renewed its controversial series 13 Reasons Why for a third season this week.
According to ratings estimates, the series’ second season premiere drew 6 million viewers in the first three days of its release.
The teen drama has caught the attention of the Parents Television Council, which released a statement about its renewal, claiming that Netflix “potentially has the blood of children on their hands from keeping this series… on its platform for children to view.”
13 Reasons Why has particularly been subject to raised eyebrows this season after a brutally graphic rape scene, which showrunner Brian Yorkey defended.
“We’re committed on this show to telling truthful stories about things that young people go through in as unflinching a way as we can,” he said. “We fully understand that that means some of the scenes in the show will be difficult to watch. I think Netflix has helped provide viewers with lots of resources for understanding that this may not be the show for everybody, and also resources for people who do watch it and are troubled and need help.”
“When we talk about something being ‘disgusting’ or hard to watch, often that means we are attaching shame to the experience. This is why these kinds of assaults are underreported. This is why victims have a hard time seeking help. We believe that talking about is so much better than silence,” Yorkey added.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings also defended the decision to renew the series for a third season.
“It is controversial,” Hastings admitted. “But nobody has to watch it.” He added that the show is engaging, successful and “enormously popular.”
Netflix’s active response to the controversy was to simply add a new video in front of the first episode of the new season, advising viewers how to get help if they’re in crisis, as well as pointing them to resources.
The streaming platform also added two after-show specials that featured the actors, experts and educators delving into the series.
