Netflix’s The Watcher is finally moving forward with its second season, four years after the horror mystery series was renewed. According to Deadline, production on season two will begin this fall in New York, with several original cast members returning.

Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive, The Impossible) and Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire, The Irishman) will reprise their roles as Nora and Dean Brannock, while Isabel Gravitt (Little Fires Everywhere, Cucuy: The Boogeyman) will return as their daughter, Ellie. Margo Martindale (Justified, The Americans) also returns as the Brannocks’ neighbor, Maureen “Mo.” Luke David Blumm (Where the Crawdads Sing, The King of Staten Island), who played the family’s son Carter in season one, is not currently listed among the returning cast.

Created by Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, 9-1-1) and Ian Brennan (Glee, Monster), The Watcher debuted in fall 2022 around the same time as their Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Netflix renewed The Watcher for season two that November, but unlike Monster, the series remained dormant for years.

Deadline notes that the delay also stretched beyond Murphy’s exclusive Netflix deal. Murphy later returned to 20th Television at Disney, while Brennan will now serve as showrunner for the new season.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently addressed complications surrounding Murphy’s deal while discussing overall agreements. Sarandos noted that Murphy had existing commitments to other companies when Netflix brought him aboard.

Despite the long wait, the first season performed strongly for Netflix. The Watcher spent five weeks on the Global Top 10 English TV list and reached the Top 10 in more than ninety countries. Season two is expected to arrive sometime next year, creating a five-year gap between seasons.

The first season followed the Brannock family after they moved into their suburban dream home, only to begin receiving threatening letters from someone calling themself “The Watcher.” Their situation became increasingly disturbing as secrets about their neighbors and the house emerged.

By the finale, the Brannocks had left the property and moved into a New York apartment. However, both Dean and Nora remained drawn to the house, leaving the story open for another chapter.

After four years of uncertainty, The Watcher is now preparing to return with much of the Brannock family back in place, and filming is finally set to begin.