ABC and SundanceTV have announced that a second season of the Australian Sci-Fi drama Cleverman will go into production later this year.

The announcement of a second season comes just as series one premieres in Australia and the United States.

The first series of Cleverman has also been sold to channels including BBC Three in the UK and was selected to screen at the 2016 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin and 2016 Series Mania TV Festival in Paris.

Cleverman series two will be a further 6x1 hour episodes.

Series one directors Wayne Blair, director of the Australian box office hit The Sapphires and upcoming TV movie Dirty Dancing, and Leah Purcell (The Secret Daughter) will return to direct series two.

Cleverman is based on an original concept by Ryan Griffen. Series two writers are Stuart Page, Jane Allen, Jada Alberts, Justine Gillmer and Ryan Griffen. Producers are Rosemary Blight for Goalpost Pictures, Ryan Griffen, Jane Allen and, for Pukeko Pictures, Sharon Lark, with executive producers Sally Riley, Ben Grant, Kylie du Fresne, Wayne Blair, Angela Littlejohn, Lisa Chatfield, Adam Fratto, Jan David Frouman, Amelie Kienlin and Irena Ignatiew.

Series one of Cleverman featured a superb ensemble cast led by Scottish actor Iain Glen (Game of Thrones), Golden Globe® nominee Frances O’Connor (The Missing), Hunter Page-Lochard (The Sapphires) and Rob Collins (The Lion King).

The series is produced by Goalpost Pictures Australia and New Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures for ABC TV Australia in co-production with SundanceTV and Red Arrow International, with the assistance of Screen Australia, Screen NSW and the New Zealand Screen Production Grant. Production will be based in Sydney.

Sally Riley, Head of Scripted Production, ABC TV, says:

“It’s rare that you get the green light for a second series of a show before the first season has even gone to air, so for me it’s a testament to the quality and audience appeal of Cleverman. It is also a testament to the unflinching support the show has from our funding partners Screen Australia and Screen NSW here in Oz, and our international partners Red Arrow and Sundance TV.”

Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV said:

“The world that Ryan Griffen and the rest of the team behind Cleverman have created is a perfect blend of timeless mythology seen through the prism of a near future lens. This is a series that sophisticated genre fans will no doubt fall in love with. We are thrilled to be working with our incredible partners at ABC TV, Goalpost Pictures Australia, Red Arrow International and Pukeko Pictures to continue the West brothers‘ journey.”

Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason said:

“Cleverman fully deserves the local and international accolades that it has received – it’s engrossing, challenging, entertaining and unique. Following this original concept from inception through to development and now seeing its resonance with audiences both overseas and at home is a proud moment for Screen Australia. Congratulations to all involved.”

Henrik Pabst, Managing Director of Red Arrow International said:

“Cleverman has already generated a huge amount of interest with international broadcasters, and the great news about season two will continue to build on this success. Congratulations to everyone involved in this groundbreaking new drama.”

Five-time Academy Award®-Winning Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit motion picture trilogies, King Kong, Avatar, The Chronicles of Narnia, District 9, Elysium and Chappie), through their association with Pukeko Pictures and in collaboration with Jacob Nash (Bangarra Dance Company), will again provide the creature design and physical effects manufacture. Park Road Post Production (The Hobbit films) is providing picture, visual effects and sound post production services.