The mysterious filmmaker behind The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, aka, the eponymous enigma at the heart of The Man In The High Castle, will be making an appearance in season two of Amazon’s hit alternate history show, promised executive producer (and Philip K Dick’ daughter) Isa Hackett at Television Critics Association’s summer press tour.
It was left to Hackett to make the announcement because there was no showrunner to make it. Because there is no showrunner. Series creator and season one showrunner Frank Spotnitz vacated that position shortly into the production of season two and no one has been brought in to replace him. (An official press release in May stated, “Given the ambition and scope of the series, the decision has been made to locate all creative efforts on The Man In The High Castle to the west coast; Frank Spotnitz will remain as an executive producer and step back from showrunner.”) But the team now in control insists this has caused no behind-the-scenes traumas and has not resulted in any major changes in the direction of the show.
“We’re running, in many ways, like a republic,” said executive producer David Zucker. “There are senior powers in every aspect of the realisation of the show… The process with Frank was an extraordinary one. I think the one thing that’s probably most notable to acknowledge is that nothing has changed within the ensemble of the show and all of the talents who are contributing to fill what he so brilliantly set in course.”
Amazon has also released some new footage from season two in a video promoting a whole of new shows for the Autumn (above), plus a synopsis for season two.
“Season two resumes with Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos) facing the consequences of her decision to betray the Resistance and allow Joe Blake (Luke Kleintank), a suspected Nazi agent, to escape the Pacific States with a film originally bound for the Man in the High Castle. Joe himself returns a hero to the Reich and finds himself thrust into the Nazi capital of Berlin, face to face with the father who abandoned him. Meanwhile, Frank Frink (Rupert Evans) becomes increasingly radicalised and drawn further into the resistance after seeing images of his own execution in the mysterious films.
“With political tensions mounting between Germany and Japan, Trade Minister Tagomi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) begins to regret his success in smuggling nuclear technology from the Reich and seeks solace in the strange new world he discovered at the end of season one. Meanwhile, Obergruppenführer John Smith (Rufus Sewell) struggles to reconcile the values of the Reich with the deteriorating health of his son— all while tasked with a mission from the Fuhrer for which failure is not an option. And Chief Inspector Kido (Joel De La Fuente) begins to take greater interest in the Man in the High Castle, the films, and how Juliana Crain is connected to it all.”
