David Tennant‘s upcoming series “Around the World in 80 Days” hasn’t yet hit screens but producers are so confident in the show they’re already developing a second season, with Ashley Pharoah (“Life on Mars”) returning as showrunner.
Variety also hears Tennant is almost certain to reprise his role as adventurer Phileas Fogg for season 2. He stars alongside Ibrahim Koma (“As Far as I Can Walk”) as Passepartout and Leonie Benesch (“The Swarm”) as Abigail.
Production companies Slim Film + Television and Federation Entertainment confirmed the series will return for another season, and also unveiled another Jules Verne adaptation, “Journey to the Centre of the Earth,” with Pharoah also on board as showrunner.
“Journey to the Centre of the Earth” tells the story of geology professor Professor Lidenbrock who mounts an expedition to the earth’s core in a bid to unlock the secrets of humanity and its future. Casting has not yet been revealed.
Simon Crawford Collins will produce both series for Slim Film + Television and Lionel Uzan for Federation.
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“We have loved working on the sequel to ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ and now we are excited to also bring Ashley’s trademark blend of humour and emotion to ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth,'” said Crawford Collins in a statement. “Ashley has developed an ensemble of exciting new and updated characters to bring a fresh and modern take to another of Jules Verne’s beloved novels.”
Uzan added: “We couldn’t be more excited to embark on this thrilling new adventure with Slim and keep exploring Jules Verne’s deeply compelling and trailblazing legacy together. Working hand-in-hand on ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ has been an inspiring experience for us all, and fresh-off this first globe-trotting odyssey together, it only seemed natural that our next journey would bring us to the innermost depths of our planet and its many secrets through this ever-more relevant story.”
The first season of “Around the World in 80 Days” will launch Jan. 2 on Masterpiece PBS in the U.S. and in December on BBC in the U.K. It will also air on France Télévisions, ZDF, RAI (the European Alliance) and RTBF.
