Welcome Elijah Wood as the newest cast member of Yellowjackets. Per Variety, the Lord of the Rings star has just been tapped for a season-long guest starring role as a dedicated Citizen Detective named Walter who will “challenge Misty (Christina Ricci) in ways she won’t see coming.” Now exactly Walter does that remains to be seen but is sounds like Wood and Ricci will be sharing a lot of screen time in the new season.

Wood joins several cast members that also mark new additions to season 2. It was previously revealed that Simone Kessell has also joined the series as adult Lottie with Lauren Ambrose playing adult Van. Those characters’ younger actors, Courtney Eaton and Liv Hewson, have also been upped to series regulars for season 2. That suggests Lottie and Van will also be playing a much bigger part in the story for the new episodes.

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Season 1’s cast also included Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Tawny Cypress, Ella Purnell, Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Nelisse, Steven Krueger, and Warren Kole. The series was created by co-showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. The two also executive produce with Jonathan Lisco and Karyn Kusama, as well as Drew Comins of Creative Engine.

A former child star, Wood is very well known as an actor for his many roles he’s taken on over the years. He is especially celebrated for his role as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings movies with his other recent film work including I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, Come to Daddy, and No Man of God. He is also set to appear in the upcoming Toxic Avenger remake. On the small screen, Wood has had major roles in the TV shows Wilfred and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

Yellowjackets Is a Big Hit for Showtime

     Showtime

Yellowjackets tells a story set in two different time periods, exploring a 1996 plane crash involving New Jersey high school soccer players and the lives of the adult survivors in 2021. The show has been a tremendous hit for Showtime, drawing great acclaim for its first season. This includes garnering a perfect 100% score at Rotten Tomatoes, the critics unanimous with their praise for the show. Even better for the show, its viewership was very high, serving as the second highest-streamed show for Showtime behind Dexter: New Blood.

The show is also a big contender for the Primetime Emmy Awards with several nominations racked up. It’s up for Outstanding Drama Series along with Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Casting, and Outstanding Directing. Melanie Lynskey is also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series while Christina Ricci is up for Outstanding Supporting Actress. It’s no wonder why Showtime is keeping this train moving by going forward with a second season, though time will tell if season 2 is quite as well received.

Yellowjackets doesn’t have a premiere date set at this time for season 2.