Season 2, you ask? We haven’t even seen season 1 yet!
Well, that’s because it hasn’t aired in the USA, nor is it available on any format accessible to USA audiences. In fact, it was only released in a select few countries.
The series premiered on French television on October 27, 2012 on France 4. Broadcast rights for various European countries such as Germany, Austria, Luxembourg were bought by Sony Pictures Television, but those countries haven’t even seen it yet either, even though they are seemingly locked in.
So what’s the hold-up? I don’t know. My research revealed nothing. I expected that with a handful of actors recognizable to American audiences, this would surely be available to USA audiences a lot sooner, but I guess not.
And now a season 2 has already been produced, and will debut in 2014 – likely on French TV again, since it is a French production.
Recapping… Announced at the MIPCom (the annual TV and entertainment market held in Cannes in October) in 2011, Michael Jai White co-stars (alongside Rutger Hauer, Scott Adkins, Joe Flanigan and James Marsters) in a live-action TV series adaptation of the Métal Hurlant Chronicles fantasy comics magazine.
Eriq Ebouaney (likely best know in the west as the star of Raoul Peck’s Patrice Lumumba biopic) is part of the supporting cast.
France-based WE Productions, and Panini U.K. Media are behind the sci-fi adventure series.
Will we ever get to see season 1, before season 2 debuts? We would assume so. I wouldn’t be surprised if season 1 already exists somewhere online (likely pirated), as it typically happens when a film or TV series is available in one region, and not others, and is in demand by the impatient others. I’m surprised that a US-based network like the Syfy channel hasn’t already swept this up, since it looks like it’ll be perfectly-suited for them.
Guillaume Lubrano is series director.
We should note that Métal Hurlant (which literally translates as Howling Metal) is the French originator of what we know as the Heavy Metal fantasy comics magazine, here in the west.
While we wait for both season 1 and season 2, check out some clips at what you’re potentially missing. First, watch a preview of season 1 below; and then watch the just-released trailer for the upcoming season 2. And finally, watch an interview with Michael Jai White and co-star Scott Adkins, talking about the series, their involvement in it, and sci-fi in general.
