Fantasy Island Season 2 - What We Know So Far
While Ricardo Montalbán is known by many for his role as Khan Noonien Singh in "Star Trek: The Original Series" and "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," another one of his equally iconic roles was as the enigmatic Mr. Roarke on the ABC series "Fantasy Island." Over the course of two TV movies and seven seasons, Montalbán played the caretaker and host of the titular Fantasy Island, a place that fulfills the desires of its guests, but often with a twist that helps them learn more about themselves and their loved ones (via IMDb.)
The series was rebooted in 2021 by the creative team of Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain (via IMDb), who had previously worked together on the Fox series "Lie To Me" and the CW series "The 100." With the 1st season finale airing in September, news has now emerged that the show has been renewed for a 2nd season as well as a holiday special (via The Hollywood Reporter). Here's what we know so far about "Fantasy Island" Season 2.
When is the release date of Fantasy Island Season 2?
A release date for the 2nd season of "Fantasy Island" has yet to be announced. As the renewal notice happened recently, there is still work that needs to be done before it's ready for airing. Shooting must resume, and post-production work is required on at least some episodes before a concrete premiere date is set. However, fans will not have to wait very long, as the news of the 2nd season renewal also came with the announcement that the show would be airing a special holiday episode on December 21. In addition, the renewal notice confirmed that Season 2 would air in 2022.
The series is likely to remain in its summer timeslot when it does return. Speaking to Deadline, Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn said that the show "held its own this summer," which suggests that its viewership numbers were favorable enough for the summer schedule. As such, it's very unlikely that either the show's creative team or the network executives would want to move the series to another time of year.
The show's 1st season consisted of eight episodes and made its debut in August 2021, ending in mid-September. If the 2nd season also gets eight episodes, the show is likely to return in August once again. However, if the 2nd season episode order is higher, the show could return earlier in the season so that it could still finish by mid-September.
Who is in the cast of Fantasy Island Season 2?
The 2nd season of "Fantasy Island" is sure to maintain its core cast. This will include Roselyn Sanchez as Elena Roarke, the overseer of the island and its guests; Kiara Barnes as Ruby Akuda, her right-hand woman and assistant; and John Gabriel Rodriguez as Javier, the pilot of the plane that ferries guests to and from the island. Beyond the trio, any additional Season 2 performers are most likely to be guest stars, much like in Season 1. Speaking to Deadline, Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn also said that "it's been exciting for us to cross-pollinate some of the stars that we have in other series and do other exciting turns on 'Fantasy Island.'"
Thorn's comments suggest that Season 2 guest stars are likely to come from other shows on Fox. This means performers from series such as "The Resident," the "9-1-1" spinoff series "9-1-1: Lone Star," and the sitcom "Call Me Kat" all have a chance of showing up on "Fantasy Island" for guest appearances.
What will be the plot of Fantasy Island Season 2?
The 2nd season of "Fantasy Island" is sure to continue the central concept of the show, which was established in the 1st season. Specifically, Fantasy Island is a place where guests come to fulfill their deepest desires before discovering that it's not as straightforward as they want it to be. The 2nd season will most certainly expand on the 1st season's overarching storyline of Ruby Akuda coping with the isolation of the island and being cut off from the rest of her family. It will also likely focus on Elena Roarke coping with giving her all to the island versus having a life of her own — possibly with Javier.
The show itself follows more of a procedural format, meaning most of the storylines through the season are introduced and resolved over the course of an episode. Thus, it would be impossible to guess what the guests of Fantasy Island will get up to or how the island itself will show them what they need.
The 1st season of "Fantasy Island" is currently available on Hulu.