After a successful first season on PBS Masterpiece and BBC, the hit drama World on Fire is going back to WWII to continue the stories of the ordinary people caught up in the crosshair of conflict. Three years after the first season aired on BBC and two since it crossed over to Masterpiece, filming has officially begun on Season 2 after delays due to the ongoing pandemic. The announcement comes with a new photo of series star Jonah Hauer-King with clapboard in hand preparing to shoot once more.

Written by creator Peter Bowker, Rachel Bennette, and Matt Jones, the six new episodes of World on Fire will immediately follow the events of its first season. Set in October 1940, the new season will see the horrors of war finally reach home in Britain as pilots take to the skies to shoot down German bombers in the skies above Manchester. Once again, viewers will be taken across the European theatre from Britain to now-occupied France and Nazi Germany, but a new type of conflict will be introduced in North Africa where British troops, Indian Sappers, and Australian Diggers fight together against the Axis forces.

Much of the cast from Season 1 is returning with Lesley Manville reprising her role as Robina, Hauer-King as Harry, Julia Brown as Lois, Zofia Wichlacz as Kasia, Blake Harrison as Stan, Eugénie Derouand as Henriette, Eryk Biedunkiewicz as Jan, and Cel Spellman as Joe. There's no confirmation if some of the previous season's other big faces like Helen Hunt will be returning, however. Some new faces will be joining the war effort this time around, with Mark Bonnar (Guilt, Line of Duty) leading the new additions as Sir James Danemere along with Ahad Raza Mir (Resident Evil, Hum Tum) as Rajib, and Gregg Sulkin (Runaways, Pretty Smart) as David. More casting announcements are still to come for the series.

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With Season 2 of the series now underway, many members of the cast and crew sounded off on their excitement for the return of the series. Bowker spoke to the long wait and the eagerness of everyone to get back to work, saying in a statement:

The second season of World on Fire has been a long wait due to a certain pandemic and this makes the beginning of filming especially exciting. It has been a real joy to pick up the story with our inspirational cast, both our established regulars and new and exciting talent who have embraced the show’s scale and ambition. How the conflict played out in North Africa is a fascinating and little explored history and we are aiming to redress that balance with stories of struggle and friendship. Our diverse cast will continue to reflect the global nature of the conflict.

"It’s wonderful to be bringing Peter Bowker’s epic scripts to life again," added Manville. "Rich characters telling great, human stories set against the backdrop of World War Two. It’s a feast!" A prolific British actress, Manville has remained a favorite on the series, earning recognition from the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for her performance.

Mammoth Screen produced the series for BBC and Masterpiece in association with ITV Studios. Amanda Black and Angie Daniell served as individual producers with Drew Casson, Barney Cokeliss, and Meenu Gaur directing. Executive producers include Bowker, Sheena Bucktowonsing, Damien Timmer, and Helen Ziegler for Mammoth Screen, Lucy Richer for the BBC, and Susanne Simpson and Rebecca Eaton for Masterpiece. Ziegler and Simpson both also released statements praising the series, its cast, and Bowker's ideas for the series going forward.

Season 2 of World on Fire is still a ways off with filming only just starting, but with the general enthusiasm a return to filming brings and intriguing new ideas, the series is shaping up for another grand depiction of the many facets of WWII. While waiting for Season 2, check out the trailer for Season 1 below: