Entertainment

Everything We Know About 'Taboo' Season 2

More Tom Hardy and more top hats, please!

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Tom Hardy, already a star on the big screen, made a name for himself in the TV game with two heavy hitters: Peaky Blinders and Taboo. The former became a giant hit, leading to multiple seasons, but the latter has been curiously absent since it debuted in January of 2017. Though a second season was announced straight away in March 2017, there are not many details about when the BBC One/FX series might return, and what it will look like going forward.

While we still don’t have a ton of information at the ready, executive producer Steven Knight has opened up about some potential plot details, and we know that there will indeed be an eight-episode second season. But what else do we know about the Victorian-set drama, which was co-created by Tom Hardy and his father, Chips? Let’s break down all of the news we have about Taboo Season 2, and when we can expect to see more.

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When will Taboo Season 2 air? 

While there’s been no official announcement on dates, Knight told Den of Geek in May of 2017 that he was hard at work on Season 2. “I’m just doing it now,” he admitted. “I’m trying to write it as quickly as I can.” In the same interview, he said the earliest we’d see Season 2 was “well into 2018.” Since it’s now 2021, and a pandemic slowed down production across the globe, Knight was obviously being a bit optimistic at the time. 

The return of Taboo will likely depend on one factor: Tom Hardy’s availability. The actor was recently shooting the comic-book blockbuster sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and while the film finished production before the shutdown, it’s still in the post-production process, which SlashFilm reported did involve some reshoots. It’s unclear when Hardy’s schedule will be open. The movie’s release date was also pushed from October 2, 2020 to June 25, 2021, and then pushed again to September 24, 2021. You can watch the waffle-filled trailer for the movie now. 

Meanwhile, Hardy has announced a few additional film projects. In February 2021, he signed on to work with The Raid director Gareth Evans on a Netflix action thriller called Havoc and in November 2020 he was one of the many names attached to an announced adaptation of the writer Tim O’Brien’s Vietnam story collection The Things They Carried. So, the busy actor’s schedule is filling up with non-Taboo projects. 

Whenever Hardy and Knight are ready, FX sounds excited to get the ball rolling. Back in January 2020, the network’s Entertainment President Eric Schrier told Deadline that they were interested in additional Charles Dickens adaptations from Knight — the network aired his version of A Christmas Carol, which included an appearance from Hardy, in 2019 — and that they’d love to have additional Taboo episodes. “Steven is definitely game and we have what I think is a great idea for a second season, some of which has already been written but we just need the actor,” said FX chairman John Landgraf. “We’re in active conversations.”

That sense of optimism extends across the pond as well. “We’re thrilled people want to know what happens next and that the BBC and FX are up for more adventures with the devil Delaney and the league of the damned,” said executive producer Ridley Scott when the series was renewed. (The show is a joint British/American venture, with BBC One airing it in the UK and FX airing it in the States.)

The first season aired on Saturday nights on BBC One, and did moderately well in that time frame, so the second season will probably stick to weekends. Although execs likely aren’t too concerned about the day of the week slot, since the first season found most of its success in streaming; it’s the third-most-viewed series to ever air on the BBC’s iPlayer app.

What will the cast of Taboo Season 2 be?

In November of 2018, Tom Hardy officially announced that he’ll return for the second season.

“We are grateful and excited to continue our relationship with the BBC and FX in contributing towards British drama,” the Venom star said in a statement. “Fantastic news.”

This isn’t much of a surprise, considering Hardy helped conceive the series and created his character, James Delaney, to fulfill the many acting challenges he wanted to tackle.

“To be bluntly honest, I wanted to play Bill Sykes, Sherlock Holmes, Hannibal Lecter, Heathcliff, Marlow… just every classical character in one,” he told the Radio Times last year. Ambitious, and when you put them all together, you apparently get a bunch of grunts

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What will the plot be?

Taboo is set in 1814 London and follows Hardy’s James Delaney, a smuggler and brute who in the pilot returns to his native Britain after a 12-year stint in Africa. Disappointed that his wealthy father left him nothing of value in his will, Delaney sets out to reclaim his inheritance. He bumps heads with the East India Company, who spend most of the season trying to kill him, before he ultimately escapes on a ship setting sail for America.

That tantalizing ending sets the state for an exciting Season 2, which Knight promises will be “explosive.” We know that we’ll follow Delaney and his crew into the “New World” eventually, but we also know their next destination is Ponta Delgada, which is in the Azores, a remote group of Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. What that setting means for the show is still anyone’s guess, as Knight has been tight-lipped about the future. “There’s a great destination for [the second season], but I don’t know if we’re in a position to talk about the actual details of it,” he told Entertainment Weekly back in 2017. 

Knight previously described Taboo as being the story of “misfits and America,” so we know Delaney will end up in the States eventually; his father did, after all, own land in North America. But it could be a while before the show reaches that destination. Knight has stated his plans to end the show after Season 3, and described the first season as “the escape,” the second season as “the journey,” and the third as “the arrival” — which means our characters might not see the shores of America until its final bow.

No matter when it hits, we can’t wait to see Hardy’s brutish grunts back on our screen again.Want more Thrillist? Follow us on InstagramTwitterPinterestYouTubeTikTok, and Snapchat.

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Entertainment

Where to Celebrate Lunar New Year 2023 in Australia

And what it means to be in the year of the Rabbit.

where to celebrate lunar new year australia

Starting with the new moon on Sunday, January 22, this Lunar New Year ushers in the year of the Rabbit. We’ve put together a guide on celebrating the Lunar New Year in Australia.

What is special about the year of the Rabbit?

As you might know, each year has an animal sign in the Chinese Zodiac, which is based on the moon and has a 12-year cycle. This year, we celebrate the year of the rabbit, known to be the luckiest out of all twelve animals. It symbolises mercy, elegance, and beauty.

What celebrations are taking place and how can I get involved?

There are plenty of festivals happening all around the country which you can get involved with. Here they are per state.

New South Wales

Darling Harbour Fireworks
When: Every year, Sydney puts on a fireworks show, and this year, you can catch it on January 28 and February 4 at 9 pm in Darling Harbour.

Dragon Boat Races
When: Witness three days of dragon boat races and entertainment on Cockle Bay to usher in the Lunar New Year. The races will commence on January 27 and finish on January 29.

Lion Dances
When: Catch a traditional Lion Dance moving to the beat of a vigorous drum bringing good luck and fortune for the Lunar New Year. The dance performances will happen across Darling Harbour on Saturday, January 21, Sunday, January 22, and Sunday, February 4 and 5, around 6 pm and 9 pm.

Lunar New Year at Cirrus Dining
When: Barangaroo’s waterfront seafood restaurant, Cirrus, is celebrating the Year of the Rabbit with a special feast menu. Cirrus’ LNY menu is $128pp with optional wine pairing and is available from Saturday, January 21, to Sunday, February 5.

Auntie Philter
When: Hello Auntie’s owner and executive chef, Cuong Nguyen will be dishing out some of the most classic Vietnamese street foods with his mum, Linda. All of Philter’s favourites will be on offer, as well as Raspberry Pash Beer Slushies and other cocktails being served at the Philter Brewing rooftop bar on Sunday, January 22 and Sunday, January 29.

Victoria

Lunar New Year Festival
When: Ring in the Lunar New Year with food, music, arts, and more on Sunday, January 22, from 10 am to 9 pm.

Lunar New Year at the National Gallery of Victoria
When: Celebrate the year of the rabbit at the National Gallery of Victoria’s festival of art, food, and art-making activities for everyone from 10 am-5 pm.

Queensland

BriAsia Festival
When: From February 1-19, Brisbane will come alive with performances, including lion dances and martial arts displays. There will be street food, workshops, comedy and more.

South Australia

Chinatown Adelaide Street Party
When: Adelaide is set to hose a fun-filled day celebrating the Chinese New Year on Saturday, January 28, from 12 pm to 9 pm.

Western Australia

Crown Perth
When: Across January and February, Crown Perth hosts free live entertainment, including colourful lion dances, roving mascots, and drumming performances. The restaurants will also throw banquets and menus dedicated to the Lunar New Year.

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