Apple TV+ has officially renewed Murderbot for a second season, just one day before the series aired its Season 1 finale on July 11.
The sci-fi dramedy, based on Martha Wells’s award-winning The Murderbot Diaries, stars Alexander Skarsgård as a sarcastic and self-aware security robot on a journey of self-discovery. The show has received widespread praise from critics for its blend of humor, emotion, and futuristic storytelling.
In a joint statement, co-creators and executive producers Chris and Paul Weitz said, “We’re so grateful for the response that Murderbot has received, and delighted that we’re getting to go back to Martha Wells’s world to work with Alexander, Apple, CBS Studios and the rest of the team.”
Matt Cherniss, Apple TV+’s head of programming, added, “Chris, Paul, Alexander and the entire Murderbot team have delivered a brilliantly original, addictive, witty and vibrant adaptation that has captured the imagination of audiences everywhere.”
What to Expect in Season 2
While Apple has not yet announced a premiere date or full cast, Alexander Skarsgård is expected to return as the titular robot. The first season was adapted from Wells’s debut novella All Systems Red, which ended with Murderbot choosing independence over staying with the human team it had protected.
Season 2 is likely to draw from the second book in the series, Artificial Condition, which follows Murderbot to the RaviHyral mining facility—the site of its mysterious and violent past. There, it teams up with a Research Transport vessel named ART to investigate the events that led to its name and reputation.
However, co-creators have hinted the adaptation may not strictly follow the book order. “We might end up shuffling the deck a little bit,” said Paul Weitz, suggesting elements from later books could be incorporated.
Chris Weitz added, “The ending of the first book meant a lot to us, so that felt like the ending of our first series… It’s not likely to be book for book.”
Fans of the series will have to wait to see whether characters from the Preservation Alliance, featured in Season 1, will return—despite being absent in the second novella.
