The Dead Lands is a new television series based on the New Zealand movie of the same name in 2014. The series debuted on the screen in early 2020. The series was well-received by critics and fans.
The 2020 television series is an adaptation of the 2014 film of the same name, directed by Toa Fraser and written by Glenn Standring. The Dead Lands film was produced by Matthew Metcalfe and Glenn Standring. The movie received multiple nominations and has won 3 awards in the 2014 New Zealand Film & Television Awards. The won awards are Best Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Make-Up Design.
In 2019, the television series was announced by AMC Entertainment’s streaming service Shudder and TVNZ. On January 23, 2020, the first two episodes of The Dead Lands series were released and aired on TVNZ onDemand in New Zealand. The first episodes premiered after its international debut. The next episodes were released on both SHudder and TVNZ onDemand weekly.
The television series’ first season has 8 episodes. The series is directed by Peter Burger and Michael Hurst and written by Glenn Standring. The producers are Liz Adams, Fraser Brown, Leela Menon, Matthew Metcalfe, and Glenn Standring. Music by Lachlan Anderson. Cinematography by John Cavill and David Paul. Casting by Christina Asher. Production design by Jules Cook. Costume Design by Sara Beale. Visual effects by Simon Deighton and Ben Godden.
The Dead Lands recap
Let’s talk about the storyline of The Dead Lands series. It is a part supernatural adventure that is set in a mythic Maori past. The story features a murdered Maori warrior named Waka Nuku Rao.
Waka Nuku Rao is sent back to the world of the living to redeem his sins. However, when he returned to the living world, he found out that it was ravaged by a breach between life and the afterlife. The spirits of the dead are threatening and hunting the living. Waka then works with a young woman named Mehe. Waka and Mehe worked together to return the order of the world so that Waka can move on to his next life.
The Dead Lands Season 2 Plot
When the first season wrapped up, there were still plenty of stories to explore in The Dead Lands season 2. As you can notice, the show is heavily influenced by the Maori culture of its characters. The Maori’s respect for the dead is what drove the plot of the first season. That’s just one aspect of Maori culture. Fans will get to explore more of Maori culture in the next season. Fans could only imagine what will be the storyline of season 2 as there are endless possibilities that could happen like characters from the afterlife, zombies, and more.
Fans of the show will have to be patient and wait.
The Dead Lands Characters
The Dead Land cast and crew are the following:
Te Kohe Tuhaka as Waka Nuku Rau
Darneen Christian as Mehe Te Wehiwehi
Kirk Torrance as Ka
Vicky Haughton as Turika
Calvin Tuteao as Ihi
Grace Palmer as Iringana
Miriama Smith as Te Paea
Jordi Webber as Rangi
Kawakawa Fox-Reo as Uri
Rob Mokaraka as Hako
Richard Te Are as Tui
Joe Dekkers-Reihana as Kahi
Kali Kopae as Hine
Nathaniel Lees as Te Kaipo
Briar Rose as Wana
Maria Walker as Hinengana
Niwa Whatuira as Tane
Krystal-Lee Brown as Raepoto
Stephen Grey as Matua
Wayne Hapi as Motu
Xavier Horan as Te Haru
Siline Lale as Puhi
Brooklyn Nathan as Tuhaere
Bree Peters as Marama. Keeli Sullivan as Kaewa. Tai Bennett as Young Waka. Tumanako Cassidy as Fifth boy. Te Rama Durie as Guard. Rawiri Jobe as Shaman’s Warrior. Jay Kiriona as Hipu. Te Wairere Mckay as Inia. Cruz Moir as Ra. Tumohio Newman as Biggest Boy. Ria Paki as Te Ripiripi. Aroha Rawson as Mahia. Leonidas Swainson as Terrified boy. Micah Tairea is the Second boy. Colm Woulfe as Tumaro.
There will be many more characters to be found in the next season as there are endless possibilities as to what will happen next. There will be more people from the afterlife, zombies, etc.
The Dead Lands Season 2 Release date
The television series was well-received by critics and fans. However, Shudder has not yet announced the renewal or the cancellation of the series.
The network, Shudder, doesn’t have a large viewership like Netflix. It might be difficult to know whether the show will be renewed for another season. As for the fans of the show, no need to worry because many shows have been pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the coronavirus outbreak happened, a lot of show productions were moved to 2021 or the next year. Show creators may be delaying the production. So, fans of the show might have to wait until late in 2021 or 2022. Should The Dead Lands series get renewed, fans will have to wait.
The Dead Lands Other Details
The television series has 11 nominations and 3 won awards during the 2014 New Zealand Film & Television Awards.
The Dead Lands series is streamed exclusively on Shudder in the United States, Canada, Germany, UK, and Ireland.
The Dead Lands is the first New Zealand series commissioned directly by AMC Networks, a US network.
The television series is one of the New Zealand series that has the large audience ever found. The location of the production is 100% filmed in New Zealand and the 39 casts are 100% New Zealanders. 100% Maori cast and one-third Maori crew. The discipline of weaponry, Mau Rakau, is part of Maori culture.
Upon production, the creators made sure that the Maori culture had to be right, in leadership, and creative positions.
The first season of The Dead Lands have 8 episodes: Tell the Dead I’m Coming, The Sins of the Father, The Kingdom at the Edge of the World, The Exorcism of the Boy, Generational Warfare, A Question of Identity, Broken Promises, and The Sacrifice of Innocence.