The first season of the Netflix anthology series Beef turned out to be a massive success by any metric.
The sort of buzzed-about prestige show that streamers have been seeking with increasing desperation in recent years, Beef was as big with critics and award committees as it was with subscribers.
While the series has yet to officially be renewed, the move is an inevitable no-brainer for Netflix.
Of course, the show will face the usual sophomore season challenges that accompany the anthology format.
We don’t know much about how Beef will tackle those issues from a storytelling perspective.
But it looks like the bigwigs who control the purse strings are doing their part by going all-in on casting.
Deadline is reporting today that Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan are both in talks to take on lead roles on Beef Season 2.
The outlet reports that Netflix and A24 initially pursued Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway for the roles in question, but those talks didn’t lead anywhere.
The streaming giant has yet to comment on the Issac-Mulligan casting rumors.
Initial reports indicate that the show’s second season will focus on a rapidly escalating conflict between two sets of couples.
According to Deadline, Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny were in negotiations to play the other couple, but it’s unclear what came of those talks.
Both Isaac and Mulligan are wildly in demand these days, so if they end up committing to Beef, it’ll be as much a testament to their belief in the material as it is a testament to Netflix’s commitment to its latest hit series.
The A-listers previously co-starred in the 2011 Ryan Gosling film Drive, which has become something of a cult hit in recent years.
Issac recently wrapped production on Hand of Dante from director Julian Schnabel.
He’s currently shooting Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation, in which he plays Doctor Frankenstein.
For her part, Mulligan is coming off one of the biggest years of her career.
She scored her third Oscar nomination, this time for her work alongside Bradley Cooper in the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro.
Mulligan also appeared alongside Adam Sandler in the Netflix film Spaceman.
Related: Streaming is Dominated by a Handful of Shows. Is There Any Room For Smaller Players?
Needless to say, landing both of these generational talents would amount to a major coup for Netflix.
What do you think, TV fanatics? Are you excited about the prospect of a second serving of beef?
Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts.
Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.
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