Twisted Metal, starring Anthony Mackie, is getting a second season at Peacock

If you tuned in to watch last week's Game Awards ceremony live, you probably had to suffer Anthony Mackie's painful segment on stage (for reasons unrelated to his on-screen presence). However, we got a nice surprise out of the uncomfortable situation: Peacock and PlayStation Productions' Twisted Metal series is moving forward with a second season.

After the announcement at The Game Awards, an official press release has been released. In it, showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith expressed his excitement: "I have to give a Sweet Tooth-sized thank you to our incredible fans - I read every comment and was so blown away by everyone's love, support, and rabid enthusiasm for a paper bag... We are beyond thankful we get to continue the story of John Doe, Quiet, and Sweet Tooth as they face off against familiar faces and new grim foes in the long-awaited Twisted Metal tournament. The mixtape is made, and I’m thrilled to get back on the road with our stellar cast and crew." Mild spoilers: Season 1 embraced much of the games' zany iconography and dystopian setting, but the actual tournament of vehicular carnage the PlayStation classics are known for was set up for season 2.

Twisted Metal hit a decent-enough 68% approval mark from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but viewers were way more enthusiastic about John Doe (Anthony Mackie), Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz), and Sweet Tooth's (Joe Seanoa/Will Arnett) first road trip. A highlight was the surprisingly expansive world-building and some genuinely well-built dramatic arcs at the center of the story. Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick's (Deadpool movies) involvement definitely helped there. If season 2 is gunning for more action and less talk, the production budget should be bumped quite a bit.

The Peacock-distributed series also marked another 2023 win for PlayStation Productions, SIE's own production company created to mine the potential for TV/movie adaptations out of the PlayStation library. So far, the company is two for two when it comes to shows, with both The Last of Us and Twisted Metal convincing critics and finding their audience in separate streaming services. Up next are the God of War (Prime Video) and Horizon (Netflix) live-action series. Needless to say, expectations around those are way higher now.

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