Sweet Tooth – Picture: Warner Brothers and Netflix
Sweet Tooth season 2 will be headed to Netflix in 2023. The DC comics series proved a hit on Netflix back in 2021 and was given a swift season 2 order but thanks to a long production process, the wait has been long. Here’s our comprehensive guide to what we know so far about Sweet Tooth season 2, including what new characters are going to feature, what we can expect, and when we’re getting our next news dump.
Based on the comic book by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth touched down on Netflix on June 4th, 2021. It comes from Warner Brothers Television, DC Entertainment, and Team Downey.
The series is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a viral pandemic wipes most of the world’s population. It also sees the birth of hybrid babies. Our story focuses on Gus, a young boy who is a half-human half-deer living in a remote location with his father.
With the basics out of the way, let’s now check out what we know so far about season 2:
Sweet Tooth Update at Netflix’s Geeked Week 2022
Sweet Tooth got a small update at Netflix’s Geeked Week on June 6th, 2022.
We got confirmation that filming had officially wrapped on season 2 of the show, with the cast all cheering on set on the announcement. Filming concluded slightly ahead of what was originally scheduled with the original filming date end expected to be on June 10th, 2022.
In a short clip, Nonso Anozie (who plays Tommy Jepperd) spoke about filming concluding by saying:
“It’s been a long journey and it’s been very hard work but it’s been amazing fun and I can’t wait to share with you on what happens in season 2.”
Dania Ramirez, who plays Aimee in the show, added:
“The stakes are higher, the battles are bigger, [and] the mean guys are meaner.”
When was Sweet Tooth renewed for a season 2? How well did Sweet Tooth perform on Netflix?
To get a renewal at Netflix, shows need to put in the numbers and while we never know the exact figures shows need to hit, Sweet Tooth clearly met the right level and hence, was renewed for a second season.
Our tracking and data provided by FlixPatrol suggested the show was a hit in almost all Netflix regions. We’ve seen this year that most shows that can stick in the top 10s in at least one region for around 30 days are going to get a new season.
In the United States, the show was in the top 10s for around 30 days. In the UK, that number was 32 days. In fact, almost every region of Netflix that FlixPatrol monitors suggest the show was a hit around the world.
According to newly available “hours viewed” top 10 data, the series was watched for over 34 million hours between June 27th and July 11th. Sadly, we do not have data before June 27th.
| Week Period | Hours Viewed(M) |
|---|---|
| July 4th, 2021 to July 11th, 2021 | 13,100,000 |
| June 27th, 2021 to July 4th, 2021 | 21,350,000 |
In addition, in Netflix’s Q2 2021 earnings report, they revealed how many people had sampled the show (watched at least two minutes). 60,000,000 households had checked out the show within the first 28 days of it streaming globally.
The show also performed well critically, with a 7.4 user score on Metacritic and a 78 from the critics. On IMDb, the show boasts a 7.9.
Nielsen has also featured the show four times in its top 10s, recording 3,213 million minutes watched thus far (their data only applies to the US).
The announcement of the second season leaked a little before Netflix’s socials officially unveiled the second season, with numerous members of the cast and other parties receiving chocolate with a big number 2 on the front.
Alongside the bar of chocolate came a note saying:
“To a very special fan of a very special show. You’re amongst the very first to hear that Sweet Tooth has been renewed for Season 2.”.
Chocolate sent to select outlets to announce Sweet Tooth season 2 – Picture: Kyle T. Cowan
Then, just hours later, we got word that yes, season 2 of Sweet Tooth would be happening.
IT'S OFFICIAL: #SweetToothSeason2 is officially happening and our cast found out in the sweetest way possible: pic.twitter.com/6R6X3mxwvk
— Sweet Tooth (@SweetTooth) July 29, 2021
The first major bit of news alongside the announcement was that season 2 would consist of eight hour-long episodes.
In a statement, Jim Mickle (the showrunner of Sweet Tooth) said about the renewal:
“It’s been equally thrilling and heartwarming to experience how people around the world have been falling in love with our deer-boy. We couldn’t be more excited to continue our collaboration with Netflix and keep following Gus and his friends on their extraordinary journey.”
Oanh Ly will join season 2 as a co-executive producer.
What to expect from Sweet Tooth season 2
As the show is following the comics quite closely (albeit it’s much lighter than the comics), you’ll know there’s plenty more story to tell.
We finally know where Gus’s mother is (Alaska) so we could see their voyage north. It’s believed that she’s up there searching for the cure.
By the end of season 1, Gus had been captured by The Last Men. A plan is now in place to save him. The good news is that Big Man although wounded looks to have survived his wounds.
Here are some of the other standout recaps from the final episode:
- Pigtail is Bear’s lost sister.
- Jepperd’s son is likely the black sheep briefly seen in the group of hybrids imprisoned with Gus.
- Birdie is alive in Alaska and Bear has contacted her via satellite phone.
We also hope to find out more on the origin of the virus which caused the mutations in the first place. We may not see that information divulged in the series but it did eventually get revealed in the comics on issue 26. There’s a good summary of how the virus came to be from DigitalSpy but only read if you’d rather know before it gets revealed in the show.
You can read more fan theories on what we can expect from season 2 of Sweet Tooth here.
New Characters Will Feature in Sweet Tooth Season 2
Back in August and September 2021, we received word that casting was underway for Sweet Tooth season 2.
Specifically, the show’s second season was casting a range of new hybrids (some of which have featured in the comics and others that haven’t).
We first reported on four new hybrids being cast in late August 2021 and they are as follows:
“Finn Fox – Mostly human with fox ears, red fur and a bushy foxtail. Sly and wary, he’s brand new to the hybrid family. He’s seen the good and bad of humans, so he can be distrustful at times, even to other hybrids like Gus. He’s brave, confident and can be a little sneaky, like he’s got a trick up his sleeve. His parents taught him to speakbefore they died, but he’s not polished. He puts thoughts together in run on sentences, and speaks up only when it matters. But when hedoes, others listen.
Wally Walrus – He has big tusks, little flippers, and
deep, expressive eyes. He’s newer to the hybrid family and he’s still very shy. He misses his adoptive mother, Aimee, who has been working to make him feel more comfortable with the group. He’s afraid of the dark and struggles to sleep without a night light. When he speaks, his words come out in song lyrics. He has a sing-songy cadence. He needs to be around water.
Haley Mockingbird – She’s got a beak and walks with skinny, stork-like legs. She’s a spirited, impatient child who has opinions and isn’t afraid to express them. The only problem is, her words are limited. When she speaks, her words come out in angry bird song or rage tweets. But she can also mimic words and voices of others perfectly. She is usually in some kind of argument and can be a troublemaker for the others. But she’d rather antagonize adults than her siblings.
JoJo Cat – Wide-eyed and docile, she is eternally curious about people and puzzles. Basically everything. If she’s in a cage, she tries to squeeze out. If she sees a light or people moving, she’s transfixed by the action. She loves to curl up into a ball and nap all day. But right as the sun sets, she engages her siblings in play for hours. She moves lightning fast and runs circles around her playmates. She loves to groom her hair and her oversized ears. Humans and other animals are allergic to her.”
In addition, a casting call in September 2021 from the National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing revealed that they were looking “for talented kids who may be deaf, hearing-impaired HOH and kids versed in NZSL Sign Language,”
Sweet Tooth hybrids – Picture: DC / Netflix
Per IMDb there have been multiple castings for season 2 of Sweet Tooth including:
- Caden Dragomer as Earl
- Craig Hall as Marlin
- Enroll Shand as Rufus
- Amie Donald as Maya Monkey
Where is Season 2 of Sweet Tooth in production? When does filming wrap?
Thanks to various casting calls and production sheets, we can confirm that shooting for season 2 started in January 2022 and ran right through to the summer.
According to Variety Insight, the show was originally scheduled to wrap filming on May 31st, 2022.
For those who don’t know, season 1 was in production for 135 days across 72 sets. 100% of the show is filmed in New Zealand which will be the same again for season 2.
Season 2 was notably filmed in Auckland and Warkworth in New Zealand.
Looked out my apartment window and Robert Downey Jr's at it again. @netflix show Sweet Tooth filming/making good use of Auckland rooftop space. No blocking streets this time though, thankfully pic.twitter.com/RZTbzqGhcU
— Chamfy (@chamfy) May 20, 2022
On January 18th, 2022, Christian Convery posted on Instagram indicating that they were back on set. Alongside the photo was the caption: “So good to be back with my awesome homie and Stunt Double @liamjreynoldss Let’s do this!”
Convery also spoke during the production to Tresa Magazine about reuniting with the cast to film season 2 where he said:
“Reuniting with the cast for filming Season 2 was AMAZING! The anticipation of seeing each other again was so exciting as we all made great effort to keep in contact with phone calls, FaceTime, text messages and seeing each other when we could! I think being able to hang out with each other when not filming was also a great indication of just how special our Sweet Tooth family is.”
As covered in our Geeked Week coverage above, filming concluded in early June 2022.
In October 2022, we got a small update via Christian Convery who was still in New Zealand but working on the ADR for the series. For those who are unaware, ADR stands for Automated dialogue replacement which is the process of re-recording an actor’s dialogue in a quiet environment, during post-production. According to his Instagram this process carried on into November and even December 2022.
Picture: christianconvery / Instagram
Susan Downey spoke about why they chose New Zealand for the production of Sweet Tooth, saying:
“Filming in New Zealand gave us a really beautiful and exaggerated landscape that played perfectly into the look we were going for, because unlike many post-apocalyptic stories where everything’s kind of gray and dusty with crumbling buildings, the central idea for Sweet Tooth was that nature was reclaiming everything. We created this idea of “storybook dystopia,”meaning everything had to be lush and green and heightened. The setting was absolutely perfect for the storytelling.”
When will Sweet Tooth season 2 be on Netflix?
We originally predicted season 2 could squeeze onto Netflix in 2022 but that no longer seems to be the case.
Instead, we’re expecting season 2 of Sweet Tooth on Netflix sometime in Q1 or Q2 of 2023. Indeed, Peter Friedlander confirmed via a Variety interview that season 2 would debut on Netflix in 2023.
Are you excited to see the return of Sweet Tooth on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.
