After being labeled as one of the best new shows of 2016 (<em><a href="http://www.vulture.com/2016/12/10-best-tv-shows-of-2016.html" target="_blank">Vulture</a> </em>planted it at the top of their list)<em> </em>and taking home both a Critic's Choice Award (best actor for Donald Glover) and two Golden Globe awards just this past Sunday (for best actor and best television series - comedy), you already know that anticipation for Season 2 of <em>Atlanta </em>is high. Unfortunately, we're all going to have to sit down somewhere and wait a while.
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Atlanta.jpg" alt="" width="1068" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-782311" />
<a href="http://deadline.com/2017/01/atlanta-season-2-delayed-2018-premiere-han-solo-star-wars-1201884007/" target="_blank">According to <em>Deadline</em></a>, it was announced at the Television Critics Association that the FX series will be on hold until 2018 due to Glover's packed production schedule for 2017.
Despite becoming a first-time father, working on a new album (as Childish Gambino) and managing to create <em>Atlanta </em>in 2016, Glover just won't be able to eek out the same kind of time in this new year to shoot the second season of his hit series. The star is playing Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo Star Wars movie. It will be filmed this year, reportedly starting in February, before being released in 2018. The role of Calrissian, previously portrayed by Billy Dee Williams, means a lot to Glover.
"Lando’s a big deal to me. It was literally the first toy I ever got," <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/818292654538559488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">Glover told <em>Variety</em></a>. "When you have something that’s kind of iconic … where people pay attention to it, it’s hard because you want to live up to the expectation. But all you can do is live up to your own. And Star Wars is really high. I really just want to have fun."
The other good news for Glover is that he recently <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/atlanta-donald-glover-fx-productions-overall-deal-1201958801/" target="_blank">inked a deal with FX Productions</a> to develop new projects for the network's different outlets and streaming services.
As for<em> Atlanta</em>, after making its debut in September, it became the highest-rated comedy in FX's history and reportedly ranked as the most-watched new comedy in three years on basic cable for the 18-49 age range, averaging 4.84 million viewers. Not only did viewers love it, but critics also embraced the dark comedy, which received universal acclaim this past fall.
For those asking if he has to be present <em>that</em> often for a second season to be produced and to air, it's important to note that Glover's character, Earn, is the main focus of the show. Glover is also the main creative force behind the entire project, working as star, director, writer and executive producer. Shooting Season 2 without him would probably be like watching <em>Insecure </em>without much of a presence from Issa Rae. It just wouldn't work.
In a chat with <a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/7580497/donald-glover-childish-gambino-atlanta-star-wars" target="_blank"><em>Billboard</em></a> in November, Glover said that people can at least expect something different when they tune in for Season 2. Glover said, "I don’t want to give people the slow drip of the same thing. That’s what people pay for now: ‘Just give me that thing over and over again.’”
He continued, “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I don’t think you want that.’”
Well, at least we can look forward to that...next year.
<em>Image via FX </em>