Netflix reverses decision on future of The Beast in Me starring Matthew Rhys and Claire Danes amid acclaim for 'limited series'

Warning - contains spoilers for the first season of The Beast In Me.

Hit Netflix series The Beast In Me has been renewed for a second season.

The eight part drama was originally billed as a one-off mini series when it launched in November 2025, but a second season is now in development, with Claire Danes returning as author Aggie Wiggs.

Season 1 showrunner Howard Gordon, who is also returning for season 2, told Variety: "We always told ourselves we’d only do a second season of The Beast in Me if we found a story that was worthy of the first – and I’m thrilled to say we found it.

"We loved making this show and our audience seemed to love watching it, so we’re enormously grateful to Jinny Howe and Netflix, and to Karey Burke and 20th Television for giving us the chance to get the band back together and do it again."

The first season starred Danes as Aggie, an author struggling to write her next book after being traumatised by the death of her young son. She gains a new neighbour and a potential biographical subject in the form of wealthy Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), who is a notorious figure, suspected of killing his first wife. He moves in next door to Aggie's Long Island home with his second wife Nina (Brittany Snow), and Aggie starts to investigate whether Nile could be guilty of murder.

The series also starred Natalie Morales (Grey's Anatomy), Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad), David Lyons (ER) and Deirdre O'Connell (The Penguin).

Matthew Rhys won an Emmy for his performance, and The Beast In Me scored over 43 million views in the first seven weeks after its launch on Netflix.

While Danes is definitely returning for the second season, it is less likely that Rhys will be back as his character — Nile was murdered in prison in the final episode (although there is always the chance he could appear in flashbacks). Other cast members are yet to be confirmed.

"We are thrilled to bring back The Beast in Me and to welcome Howard Gordon to the Netflix family with this creative partnership," Netflix head of scripted series Jinny Howe added.

"The series captivated global audiences, delivered extraordinary performances led by Claire Danes, and earned Matthew Rhys a historic Emmy win. We are incredibly proud of what Howard Gordon, Gabe Rotter, and the entire cast and crew achieved. We can’t wait for audiences to see what Howard and Daniel Pearle have in store for the next season."

The Beast In Me (season 1) is available to watch on Netflix. You can sign up to Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky TV and Virgin Media.

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