Task Season 2 Star Reveals Major Production Update & Casting Details

EXCLUSIVE: Harry Melling shares a Task season 2 progress update.

Created by Brad Ingelsby, the HBO crime drama premiered last year, introducing Mark Ruffalo as Tom Brandis, an FBI agent leading a task force after a string of robberies in Philadelphia. Task season 1 earned critical acclaim and was a viewership hit, and season 2 was subsequently confirmed with some exciting changes, including Melling joining the show as a volatile DEA agent named Brennan Boylan.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, Melling shares excitement about joining Task's sophomore outing. Melling shares kind words about the cast and about Ingelsby's writing before revealing that they're now about two months into filming. Check out his full comment below:

"What a cast of people, and it is a very rich world. Brad Ingelsby is just the most incredible writer of characters. He's just impeccable. So I'm very, very excited to be a part of this. Early days though, with it, about two months into shoot."

Melling, who may be familiar to viewers for playing Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter movies, and for his roles in The Queen's Gambit and Pillion (2025), is among several newcomers to the Task cast for season 2. Fresh faces include Mahershala Ali, Edgar Ramirez, Adam Nagaitis, Aminah Nieves, and Tim Blake Nelson, among others.

One particularly interesting season 2 cast update revealed that Julianne Nicholson is joining the show as Lori Ross, a character who first appeared in Ingelsby's other series, Mare of Easttown. Nicholson's casting, then, confirms a crossover between Task and Mare of Easttown, though the true extent of this crossover remains to be seen.

Season 2 is also set to feature several returning cast members. Kathleen McGinty will be back as Martha Plimpton, this time set for a larger role as the FBI Supervisory Senior Resident in Charge. In addition, Silvia Dionicio will be back as Brandis' daughter, Emily.

After the Task season 1 ending, season 2's story is set to take things in a new direction, with Brandis leading a new task force. Though specifics remain under wraps, the official logline teases that "the deeper the operation runs, the harder it is to tell who's the target." The DEA are also confirmed to play a substantial role in the plot of season 2.

The HBO series currently doesn't have a confirmed return date. Filming got underway in June in Pennsylvania, however, suggesting that Task could return to screens at some point in 2027. Season 1 consisted of seven episodes, just like Mare of Easttown, but it hasn't yet been announced how many episodes season 2 will have.

Though it hasn't yet gotten a green light from HBO, star Kate Winslet has teased that Mare of Easttown season 2 could eventually move forward.

After Harry Potter, Melling has truly branched beyond the YA franchise, attaching himself to a variety of critically acclaimed movies and series that have showcased his impressive range as an actor. Though exactly how he factors into Task season 2 remains something of a question mark, he's evidently excited about the prospect of joining this thrilling and emotional HBO series.