It’s been more than a year since All of Us Are Dead was renewed for a second season. At the time of writing this article, we can certainly say that the fans’ anticipation is skyrocketing. An exceptional part of the South Korean Netflix Original series, All of Us Are Dead season 2, has gained exponential popularity tantamount to that of Squid Game.
Based on the webtoon Now at Our School by Joo Dong-geun, All of Us Are Dead has been written by Chun Sung-il and directed by Lee Jae Gyoo, who is popular for his works like Trap, King2Hearts, and Intimate Strangers. For those unversed, the show follows the repercussions of a failed science experiment by Hyosan High science teacher Lee Byeong-chan.
The said experiment led to the emergence of a mysterious virus that transforms humans into zombies, which began spreading across the school as well as the entire city. In order to prevent it from spreading further, the authorities announced a state of emergency, and the city was placed under lockdown. However, during this announcement, a group of students trapped in Hyosan High, who now must unite to survive the zombie outbreak.
The official synopsis of All of Us Are Dead reads:
“A high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out or turn into one of the rabid infected.”
The series features Yoon Chan-young, Park Ji-hu, Cho Yi-hyun, Park Solomon (Lomon), Yoo In-soo, Lee Yoo-mi, Kim Byung-chul, Jeon Bae-soo, Lee Kyu-hyung, Im Jae-hyeok, Ha Seung-ri, Lee Eun-saem, and many others.
Be that as it may, many speculate a production delay for the second season owing to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that have shut down the productions of popular, grossing shows, including Stranger Things, Outer Banks, and more. Unfortunately, it seems that All of Us Are Dead season 2 has met the same fate, because it will not be arriving on Netflix in September.
Here’s why.
All of Us Are Dead season 2: Is it coming to Netflix in September?
Given the present conditions of the production schedule, it does not seem that All of Us Are Dead season 2 would be released in September 2023. In fact, considering how things are at a standstill with Netflix right now, we don’t expect to stream the latest season this year at all.
Park Ji-hu, in conversation with Teen Vogue, revealed in March 2023 that All of Us Are Dead season 2 has not started filming yet.
Earlier, the second season of the South Korean Netflix Original zombie horror series was rumored to be in the production stage. As per the photos shared on Twitter, the cast and crew were spotted to be shooting the second season in September 2022. Later, in October 2022, a fan shared a TikTok video that showcased the cast and crew still filming. However, these reports prove to be mendacious, given Ji-hu’s statement.
The ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood have sparked confusion in the viewers concerning K-dramas and whether All of Us Are Dead would also have to bear the brunt of the same. However, according to LA Times, the actors’ and writers’ strikes won’t affect the production of K-dramas. Interestingly, given that Hollywood entertainment has been put on hold, the streaming giant will presumably lean into its South Korean content.
What can we expect to happen in All of Us Are Dead season 2?
Unlike the plethora of fans who are deeply anticipating a second season, some critics find there is no real need for producing All of Us Are Dead Season 2. That’s because, in season 1, only a few students survived Hyosan High School while a majority of people were turned into zombies, and they, in turn, were strategically bombed by the Korean military. These few survivors are now living in a refugee camp, waiting for the military’s cue to return home safely.
Unless the new season begins with a new outbreak or the season magnifies on Nam-Ra, who interestingly did not succumb to the virus even after being infected by it. She was not only able to stay human but also gain new strength and endurance after being infected by the virus.
The new season could focus more on zombie hybrids like Nam-Ra, with questionable identities that can counteract any time in the series.
In addition to that, before All of Us Are Dead was renewed for a second season, director Lee Jae-kyoo mentioned in an interview with The Korea Herald that he wanted to create a second season of this zombie series. He said, “If the first season can be seen as having presented humanity‘s survival, the next season can talk about the survival of zombies.”
Since the Korean zombie thriller is inspired by the webtoon, we can expect the unexplored plot arcs to be foregrounded in the upcoming installment. However, director Lee Jae-kyoo mentioned earlier that he has already made key changes in the series as compared to the webtoon. So, looking toward the text for season 2 predictions might not be prudent for us.
The director said (via the Korea Herald), “I think the level of expression in a webtoon is very different from that in a film or drama series. In trying to make our series enjoyable to wide range of people, I definitely refined some characters and made them look less violent and murderous, including Gwi-nam and Na-yeon.”
“It has been more than 30 years since I graduated high school. The original webtoon series began in 2009. I think 10 years is enough time for everything around us to change. I carefully monitored the expressions and behaviors of high school students today, though it was not easy,” Lee said.
“Some actions and expressions of today’s students were very difficult to comprehend with the mind of an adult. We carefully communicated with the actors, who were high school students themselves, to confirm these parts,” he explained.
He added further, “The origin of [the] zombie virus was introduced in the series as an attempt to highlight the people who take responsibility and those who do not when an event, such as school violence, occurs. Though it is another zombie action thriller, I thought the series provides the viewers with a chance to think about what kind of people they are.”
Who are the cast members of All of Us Are Dead season 2?
Currently, Netflix has not confirmed who will return in All of Us Are Dead season 2. Be that as it may, we expect On-jo (Park Ji-hu), Su-hyeok (Lomon), Hyo-ryeong (Kim Bo-yoon), Dae-su (Im Jae-hyuk), Ha-ri (Ha Seung-ri), and Mi-jin (Lee Eun-saem) to be back in the second season as well. In addition to these names, we also expect Cho Yi-hyun to reprise her role as Nam-ra. Hopefully, if Cheong-san (Yoon Chan-young) survived the bombing, he would also be back in the second season. Besides these returning cast members, we expect some new cast additions too.
In conversation with Soompi, Yoon discussed the fate of his character, explaining, “I was actually asked about whether Cheong San died or not in another interview recently. To be honest, I don’t know. I haven’t heard about what happens next, and nothing has been decided yet. Personally, I’d like to live. I’d like to be able to say things that I didn’t get to say.”
For more release date updates on All of Us Are Dead season 2, stay tuned to Web News Observer!