Since the hit first season, eyes have been on any news about The Watcher season 2. Hopes for the season dim further with the latest casting news for another Ryan Murphy series.
Netflix renewed The Watcher for a second season back in November 2022, and since then, there have been crickets about the show. Both creator Murphy and star Naomi Watts have shared little news or hope for the second season, and that’s dimmed even more as Watts has been casted in another of Murphy’s shows, American Love Story.
Significant delays for The Watcher season 2 explained
At first, the delays could be explained pretty easily. After the initial renewal in November 2022, there was a shutdown in Hollywood. The writers and then the actors went on strike, so between May and September 2023, there was no movement on any project that involved the WGA and SAG-AFTRA members.
However, it’s been two years since the start of that strike, and there is still no movement on The Watcher season 2. It looks like everyone has moved on despite Netflix giving the series a renewal, since Murphy is working on projects such as All’s Fair for Hulu and 911: Nashville for ABC, and now Watts has landed a lead role in another one of Murphy’s projects, American Love Story.
Murphy and his team have offered no updates about the storyline or characters for The Watcher season 2. There were some initial hopes that it would arrive in 2025, but with filming not even started, that’s pretty impossible to accomplish.
Naomi Watts lands American Love Story for FX
Instead, Murphy has focused his efforts on a new series, American Love Story, which is an offshoot of American Horror Story and American Crime Story. It will follow the love story of JFK Jr. and his wife Carolyn, with Watts taking on the iconic role of Jackie Kennedy, mother to JFK Jr. Paul Kelly will join her as John F. Kennedy Jr., and The Hollywood Reporter reminds us that Sarah Pidgeon will play Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
This is the story of JFK Jr. and Carolyn’s whirlwind romance. They enjoyed a beautiful start to their relationship, being viewed as American royalty in the 1990s, but the tabloid pressure got to the two of them. Sadly, the two died tragically in 1999 after JFK Jr.’s plane few into the ocean.
This is the first iteration of American Love Story, the latest of the anthology shows from Murphy. It looks more and more like Murphy is focused on anthology shows, especially as he steps back and hands the reins to the likes of 911 and 911: Nashville to other showrunners. This could be why there’s been little movement on The Watcher season 2, although it could also be just where his creativity takes him.
The Watcher is available to stream on Netflix.