School Spirits co-creator and executive producer explain how the show will be different from season 1. Headlined by Cobra Kai‘s Peyton List, and adapted from a graphic novel, School Spirits focuses on the story of Maddie Nears (List), a teen girl who finds herself stuck in purgatory. Hoping to move on, Maddie investigates the mystery of who murdered her and why. With a School Spirits cast that also includes Kristian Ventura, Milo Manheim, and Spencer Macpherson, the supernatural high school drama has built up a following since its debut on Paramount+ in March 2023.
Speaking with Collider, ahead of season 2’s premiere in early 2025, co-creator Megan Trinrud and executive producer Oliver Goldstick talked about what’s ahead in the teen drama’s second installment. Trinrud, who created the series with sibling Nate Trinrud, teased that the series will explore more supernatural issues and will make more stylistic choices. As for Goldstick, he talked about how the story will be impacted by the twist ending related to Mr. Martin. Read their comments below:
Trinrud
: I think that there’s an evolution to the style of the show that is taking us into a place where we’re dealing with more supernatural issues, obviously, in this season. I think what was so much fun for us as creators in Season 1 was it was a supernatural premise very rooted in reality, and we really retain that in Season 2, but we have a little more fun with the supernatural elements of it. We get to know the ghost world and how it operates on a new level. I think people are gonna be really excited by that because we get to do some really beautiful, stylistic, exciting things. That’s maybe the biggest way.Goldstick
: What happens to Maddie forces those who are dead in the ghost world to start reexamining their own deaths. Obviously, the person who they trusted the most may have been quite devious — Mr. Martin — so I think everyone knows by the end of Season 1, somebody who they felt had their best interests and wanted to help them cross over, find peace, may have had a whole other agenda. The idea of being lab rats, even if it’s nicer accommodations, is never fun, right?
The Show Will Evolve In Several Ways
School Spirits season 2 will have a lot to pick up on. Going back to the finale episode, it’s revealed that Maddie didn’t die at all. Instead, her body is taken over by Janet. The finale closes with Janet out in the world, with the new character very intentionally removing Maddie’s ‘missing’ posters when she sees them. The implication is that Janet doesn’t want to let go of Maddie’s body.
School Spirits
season 2 debuts in early 2025, though an exact date has not been announced.
It’s been confirmed that Shameless alum Jess Gabor has been cast as Janet Hamilton, indicating that the mystery of how Janet took over Maddie’s body will continue to be explored. Zack Calderon, Miles Elliot, and Cihang Ma are also among the new additions to the Paramount+ ensemble. Josh Zuckerman, meanwhile, has been upgraded to a main cast member in his role as Mr. Martin.
Related
School Spirits Season 2 Wishlist: 10 Things We Want To See
From solving old mysteries to new storylines, there is no shortage of ideas for how School Spirits season 2 can continue to captivate audiences.
While this means that Mr. Martin’s nefarious goals of studying the ghosts will likewise be explored, the new remarks preview that the Paramount+ show will make new visual and narrative choices that may stand out after the School Spirits season 1 ending and could dig deeper into how the supernatural aspects of the adaptation actually work, growing beyond just a somewhat limited focus on the young ghosts and their interactions.
The Verdict On School Spirits Season 2
It’s Worth The Wait
After being delayed because of the writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023, the teen drama nonetheless got a boost when season 1 was added to Netflix. It’s a nice companion, considering that Peyton List’s breakout role in Cobra Kai is also on Netflix. Combined with a School Spirits season 2 teaser that promises big developments for Maddie, the latest update is an encouraging sign of things to come.
Source: Collider
Based on the graphic novel, School Spirits is a supernatural mystery-drama series set in a high-school setting focusing on the afterlife. When teenage Maddie finds herself in the afterlife, she spends her idle time trying to investigate why she went missing. However, her high-school sleuthing leads her down a path that only yields more questions and uncovers a more sinister plot underneath her own demise.
- Cast
- Kristian Flores , Milo Manheim , Spencer Macpherson , Kiara Pichardo , Sarah Yarkin , Nick Pugliese , Rainbow Wedell , Josh Zuckerman
- Release Date
- March 9, 2023
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Nate Trinrud , Megan Trinrud , Oliver Goldstick
- Main Genre
- Mystery