Mindhunter season 2 will focus on the Atlanta child murders, according to showrunner David Fincher. The 10-part Netflix series only made its debut last Friday, but has already raked in high praise for breathing new life into the crowded field of procedurals. Rather than regurgitating a formulaic whodunnit, it probes the "why" behind the crime, offering a meticulous, cinematic, and spellbinding recount of the psychology that gave way to criminal profiling.

The show is based on Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, a 1995 book by John E. Douglas, a pioneering FBI agent credited as one of the first profilers within the agency. Over the course of his career, he interviewed some of America's most notorious serial killers — including Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Charles Manson, among many others — in an attempt to understand how they think and apply that knowledge to solve new cases. In Mindhunter, Jonathan Groff (GleeFrozen) stars as Holden Ford — a loose interpretation of Douglas — and Holt McCallany as his partner, Bill Tench (Sully), a character inspired by Robert K. Ressler, who is believed to have coined the term “serial killer.

Though only a few days out from its release, Netflix was so confident in the project that they renewed it for a second season back in April — a full six months before its premiere. And now, in an interview with Billboard discussing the show's score, Fincher has dropped a small hint about what Mindhunter's next outing might entail. As he told the outlet:

“Next year we’re looking at the Atlanta child murders, so we’ll have a lot more African-American music which will be nice. The music will evolve. It’s intended to support what’s happening with the show and for the show to evolve radically between seasons.”

The Atlanta child murders took place between 1979 and 1981, during which some 28 African American children, teens, and adults ranging in age from 7 to 28 were killed. The methodology varied, though many of them were strangled. Wayne Williams was convicted for two of the murders, and many of the others are believed to be committed by him, though those cases were closed without any convictions. Douglas wrote in his book that he believes there were multiple offenders, though it's worth noting he was reprimanded for his work on the case. When Williams' arrest was announced, Douglas made comments essentially declaring him guilty. To this day, Williams maintains his innocence.

That ties in nicely with Mindhunter's first season, which frequently depicts the clash between Ford, Tench, and their superiors. And without spoiling the ending, it's a good place to pick up. An official launch date for Mindhunter season 2 has yet to be announced, though since Fincher says "next year," it's reasonable to expect it sometime in 2018. In the meantime, the first season is streaming in full on Netflix.

Next: Mindhunter is an Effective Police Procedural About Changing the Procedure

Source: Billboard