Here's everything we know about Katla season 2 - including the renewal status, storyline, and release date. The Icelandic science fiction show originally released on Netflix in June 2021, and follows villagers who experience strange events after the explosion of a subglacial volcano. Katla season 1 wraps up most of the storylines, however, a final reveal implies that new stories will be told in Katla season 2.
Katla season 1 begins with a woman, covered in ash, arriving in the real-life village of Vik. She's revealed to be Ása (Íris Tanja Flygenring), the sister of lead protagonist, Gríma (Guðrún Ýr Eyfjörð), who disappeared before the volcanic eruption. As the siblings attempt to understand the past, their father Þór (Ingvar Sigurdsson) learns that another ash person is none other than his former lover, Gunhild (Aliette Opheim), who appears to be 20 years younger than her actual age. When the real Gunhild arrives from Sweden in the 2021 Netflix show, a volcanologist named Darri (Björn Thors) tries to understand the science behind local folklore, especially since his young son has returned three years after dying from a fractured skull.
In the penultimate episode of Katla season 1, Gríma discovers that human remains have been identified as her sister, Ása, which prompts the duplicate to accept that she's not actually human. Gríma also theorizes that the so-called "changelings" have arrived to serve a purpose, while Darri and his wife reach the same conclusion before drowning the duplicate version of their son. The characters collectively address past trauma, including Þór, who meets his son Björn for the first time, and also the detective Gísli (Þorsteinn Bachmann), who prays for forgiveness after poorly treating his sick wife and her changeling. In the cryptic final scene, a new group of ash people descends upon Vik, which suggests that other community members will be forced to grapple with past trauma.
Katla Season 2 Renewal
Netflix hasn't yet greenlit Katla season 2. The Icelandic series premiered in mid-June 2021, and so the streaming service will likely make a renewal/cancellation decision by early August 2021. Since Katla season 1 could potentially be a hidden gem, one that streamers don't immediately discover, Netflix may take that into inconsideration and gauge viewing numbers for several months. Expect Katla season 2 to be greenlit by Netflix during summer 2021, assuming that it won't be a one-and-done limited series.
Katla Season 2 Story
Katla season 1's ending implies that new characters will be featured in Katla season 2. For example, Gríma accepts her sister's death and then plays Russian roulette with her double, resulting in her survival and a spiritual reawakening. Similarly, Darri and his wife Rakel (Birgitta Birgisdóttir) move forward together, while Magnea (Sólveig Arnarsdóttir) and her double drive a vehicle into the volcano. Since all of the doubles from Katla season 1 serve their purpose and leave, or so it seems, the final group that emerges at the end will presumably arrive to help others cope with the past. Then again, the final image could symbolize the continuous process of the five stages of grief. If new episodes are indeed produced, Katla season 2 will help audiences understand the local folklore and the science behind the emergence of subglacial ash people. In Katla season 1, Darri theorizes that it's the result of a meteor and extraterrestrials who have the intelligence to create duplicate versions of humans based on memories associated with their loved ones.
Katla Season 2 Cast
Even if Katla season 2 features a brand new main cast, the Katla season 1 protagonists could return to add more narrative depth. The changeling version of Ása most likely won't return, along with the duplicates of Gunhild and Gríma. Such characters could reappear in flashbacks, but new actors and actresses will most likely join the Netflix sci-fi, unless the descending ash people from the Katla season 1 ending are somehow connected to the main protagonists from the first eight episodes.
Katla Season 2 Release Date
If Netflix does move forward with Katla season 2, new episodes may not release until 2023. The Icelandic series has been compared to the German show Dark, which initially debuted in December 2017 and then returned 16 months later in June 2019. Katla season 2 could potentially premiere by June 2022, but don't be surprised if new episodes aren't released until early 2023.