Arcanereturns this month for the second and final season, which will be released on Netflix in three acts. Set in theLeague of Legendsuniverse, this series focuses on sisters Violet (Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder (Ella Purnell) as they end up on opposite sides of a growing conflict between the wealthy utopia of Piltover and its dark underbelly whose citizens wish to break away from their oppressors. By the end of season 1, Powder becamethe fan-favoriteLeague of LegendscharacterJinx.
Arcaneseason 1 solidified Netflix’s position as a leader in adapting game franchises into animated cultural phenomena. Globally praised as one of the Best TV Shows of 2021, the adult animated series also earned four Primetime Emmy Awards (2022) including Outstanding Animated Program – the first streaming series to win that award.The final chapter ofArcanepremieres on Netflix in three distinct acts: Act One on November 9, Act Two on November 16, and Act Three on November 23.
Arcane Season 2 Sets Massive Animation Record Ahead Of Premiere
Arcane season 2 sets a massive animation record ahead of its premiere, with the League of Legends TV series making history before its final episodes.
ScreenRantinterviewed Ellen Thomas (Ambessa Medarda), Reed Shannon (Ekko), Mick Wingert (Heimerdinger), Amirah Vann (Sevika), Brett Tucker (Singed), Christian Linke (Creator/Executive Producer), and Amanda Overton (Writer) at the red carpetpremiere ofArcaneseason 2. They tease what fans can expect in the upcoming season as well as reveal what the love for season 1 has meant to them. The cast and creatives also explain what the iconicArcaneline, “In the pursuit of great, we failed at good”, means to them.
“We wrote their last scene together six years ago. And it’s never changed. It has stayed our North star, our guiding light for the entire series, for the length of its creation.”
Screen Rant: What can you tease about season 2?
Amanda Overton: There’s hardly an episode towards the end that I don’t cry at for one reason or another, but I am a happy crier. So there’s at least two episodes I happy cry at every time. And there’s a few that maybe I might have to look away. It’s just too sad to see it over and over again. But that, to me, is if you may get a range of emotion, of feeling expression like that, as a writer, as a storyteller, and you’re doing your job.
Screen Rant: Is there anything you can tease about the sisters' journey?
Amanda Overton: I love them so much. What I can say is that the way that we wrote that scene, I think we wrote their last scene together six years ago. And it’s never changed. It has stayed our North star, our guiding light for the entire series, for the length of its creation. I think everything that shifted and changed, and we added to the series just made it all the more powerful. And I’m excited.
“Visually, I would say season 2 is leagues above season 1.”
Screen Rant: What can you tease for season 2?
Christian Linke: In terms of the animation, we definitely went bigger. Season one was a lot of building fundamentals, technical aspects, making sure we can do this stuff well. Season two, we could just kind of dream bigger, if you will. So visually, I would say season two is leagues above season one.
Screen Rant: One of my favorite lines from Arcane season 1 is, “In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good.” What does that line mean to you?
Christian Linke: It’s funny you bring up that line. I think it’s easy to get seduced or distracted by the shiny thing. It’s easy to just focus on big explosions and snazzy, cinematic visual effects. I think it comes down to telling great story, and having great characters, and we really try to do that. Whether or not we succeed, that our audience is going to tell us, in an unmerciful fashion.
Our audience is, I will see after tonight if I need to go in hiding or witness protection, but I really think it needs to be good stories. Otherwise all the visual effects, they don’t do anything.
Brett Tucker Has Felt The Immense Pressure To Top Arcane Season 1
“I’ve got to bring my A-game for season 2.”
Screen Rant: What has it meant to you that the fans embraced season 1 so much?
Brett Tucker: It’s a lot, you know what I mean? It’s amazing, obviously. It’s nothing but positive. It has been incredible, especially considering how long, even before, how long we were working on season one. I remember getting the breakdown of the character. It was so long ago. So seeing the response has been phenomenal. But also seeing it from a distance, seeing the way that the fans interact with each other and their investment in it. It’s so awesome. But then it’s like, all right, I’ve got to bring my A game for season two. The pressure’s on, you know what I mean? You’ve got to back it.
Amirah Vann Thanks Sevika For Representing All The Strong Women In Her Life
“Every character I get to play, they’re all pretty amazing women.”
Amirah Vann: I think Christian and Alex did an amazing job. The creative team, all of them were geniuses. It’s their baby. I’m just happy to be a part of it and play such a badass character. She represents for all the strong women in my life.
Screen Rant: Is that where you draw inspiration from?
Amirah Vann: Always. Every character I get to play, they’re pretty amazing women.
“Get ready for everybody to pay the consequences for all their choices.”
Screen Rant: What can you tease forArcaneseason 2?
Mick Wingert: The way I would put season two is get ready for everybody to pay the consequences for all their choices. And that should be mind-blowing in and of itself because there were some very dramatic choices made in season one. Everything from kicking Heimerdinger off the Council to Heimerdinger meeting Ekko, to Jinx’s actions at the end of (spoiler alert for season one), Jinx’s actions at the end of season one, Vi’s actions, Caitlyn, everybody is coming to a head and everything matters. Nothing is wasted and that I cannot wait for the fans to experience. It is going to be next level.
Ellen Thomas Is Nothing Like Her Arcane Character, Ambessa
“I get an opportunity to actually be the powerful, the strongest, the wickedest.”
Screen Rant: What were you most excited to explore in Arcane season 2?
Ellen Thomas: How power corrupts. Really, seriously, big time. I think for me that was a turning point. I still love her, though.
Screen Rant: How do you get in the mindset of Ambessa?
Ellen Thomas: Oh my gosh. I channel because I’m so not like that, and I get an opportunity to actually be the powerful, the strongest, the wickedest. Because in real life I’m nowhere near that.
Reed Shannon Was Excited To Explore Ekko’s Vulnerabilities In Arcane Season 2
“It’s nice to see that side of him and see him geek out a little bit and just really be who he is fully.”
Screen Rant: What have the fans' reactions toArcaneseason 1 meant to you?
Reed Shannon: It was beautiful. I was actually just talking to my friend about this other day, because it took so long to make season two, but to see how many people fall in love with the show over time. I saw somebody tweet last week. They were like, I just watched it for the first time. I could never wait three years for this.
Screen Rant: What were you most excited to explore in season 2?
Reed Shannon: A little bit more of Ekko’s vulnerabilities. You know what I mean? And just understanding why he does the things that he does and how he feels about them. He’s such a strong guy all the time, or tries to be, and so it’s nice to see that side of him and see him geek out a little bit and just really be who he is fully.
Source:Screen Rant Plus
More About Arcane Season 2
Set in the League of Legends universe, Arcane focuses on sisters Violet and Powder (later Jinx) as they end up on opposite sides of a growing conflict between the wealthy utopia of Piltover and its dark undercity whose citizens wish to break away from their oppressors.
The animated series, based on the League of Legends game and one of Netflix’s most successful animated series ever, is created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee. Executive producers include Linke, Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck. The Animation Studio is Fortiche Production.
Voices include Hailee Steinfeld (Vi), Annie Award winner Ella Purnell (Jinx) and Katie Leung (Caitlyn), Reed Shannon (Ekko), Amirah Vann (Sevika), Mick Wingert (Heimerdinger), and Ellen Thomas (Ambessa), and Brett Tucker (Singed) among others to be announced. Fortiche directed and produced the animation, under the direction of the founders Pascal Charrue and Arnaud Delord.
Arcane
Cast
Arcane is an animated series set in the League of Legends universe, debuting in 2021. It explores the conflict between the affluent city of Piltover and the oppressed undercity of Zaun. Central to the story are two sisters whose allegiance to opposing sides of a technological and ideological war strains their bond.
