Red Eye season 2 confirmed with returning cast members announced
Jing Lusi returns as DS Hana Li but the future of Richard Armitage's character is unclear.
Red Eye will return for a second season, ITV has confirmed.
The broadcaster announced that Jing Lusi will reprise her role as DS Hana Li, with Lesley Sharp and Jemma Moore also returning as Head of MI5 Madeline Delaney and journalist Jess Li respectively.
However, it is currently unclear if Richard Armitage will be back, with the actor not part of the returning cast members confirmed by ITV alongside the renewal.
The first chapter in the espionage thriller saw respected medical doctor Matthew Nolan (Armitage) accused of murdering the daughter of a prominent Chinese politician.
DC Hana Li (Lusi) was tasked with escorting him back to China in order to face justice, but during the long-haul flight it becomes apparent that there is more to this story than initially meets the eye.
Written and created by Peter A Dowling, Red Eye proved to be a major ratings hit on ITV1 and ITVX, prompting early reports of a follow-up, with a source telling RadioTimes.com in May that conversations were ongoing.
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ITV's Head of Drama Polly Hill said: "I am so delighted to see the success of Red Eye. It's incredible to get an audience of over 8 million and a huge thank you to everyone involved for making such a brilliant and addictive thriller.
"I can't wait for audiences to see where Pete takes series 2. It's another exciting ride!"
The first season ended with Hana and Matthew rooting out the sinister plot that had been constructed around them, but left questions over the nature of their relationship and what their next chapter could have in store.
Armitage put forward one avenue for exploration in an interview with RadioTimes.com, suggesting that his character could become an asset of the British government, but we don't yet know whether this idea will be incorporated in the show.
Lusi also spoke to us about the prospect of returning, explaining: "I love Hana. I love the world that Pete and Julie [Gardner, producer] have created and that Kieron [Hawkes, director] brought to life and the very talented crew.
"If there is a story to be told, I would absolutely love to do it... for me, character is everything. If there isn't a story worth telling and a journey worth taking the character or the audience on, let's not do it. Let's just keep it amazing for what it was."
She added: "So I'm very open to it. I think there is definitely more story to tell, but it has to be the right story."
Hopefully, we can conclude from Lusi's return that the creative team has come up with a sufficiently exciting hook for Red Eye season 2 – we'll bring you more details on the next set of episodes as they come in.
Red Eye is available to stream on ITVX, with no confirmed release date for season 2.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
