Yahoo News ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Renewed for Season 2 at Starz
The “Power” universe is powering forward.
Starz has renewed the first of its multiple planned “Power” spinoffs “Power Book II: Ghost” for a second season. News of the pick up comes just three episodes into season 1, and just over two weeks since the show’s premiere.
“Power Book II: Ghost” picks up soon after the events of the original series, as Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey, Jr.) grapples with a new world order. His father James “Ghost” St. Patrick is dead, and his mother, Tasha (Naturi Naughton), is facing charges for his murder, even though Tariq pulled the trigger.
According to Starz, the premiere of “Power Book II: Ghost” scored 7.5 million multiplatform views in its first week, making it the most-watched new series in the network’s history.
“The success of ‘Ghost’ right out of the gate is a tribute to the quality of Courtney’s storytelling, the strength of the ‘Power’ franchise and the loyalty of our incredible fans,” said Christina Davis, president of programming at Starz. “What Courtney, Curtis and their team have accomplished in creating the ‘Power’ Universe is nothing short of extraordinary. It is a privilege to be able to continue the journey of ‘Power’ with the audience and we look forward to delving deeper into this world in exciting new ways for many seasons to come.”
The first season of “Power Book II: Ghost” is airing in two parts due to COVID-19 production difficulties. The mid-season finale is set for Oct. 4, and sources say the the plan is for the series to return to set later this year to shoot the five remaining episodes.
“I am incredibly humbled by and grateful for the response from our ‘Power’ fans — the best fans in the world, period. To have our fans return — and bring new viewers to the first spinoff in the ‘Power’ Universe — is a dream come true. Back in 2012, 50, Mark, and I were warned that a premium series with leads of color would never work for a global audience. But we’ve proven everyone wrong — and thanks to Starzplay, we have fans in the UK, France, Mexico, Brazil and beyond, all plugging into the ‘Power’ Universe,” said series creator, showrunner and executive producer Courtney A. Kemp. “In the second season, Tariq’s journey with the Tejada family will get even more complicated — and more dangerous — as he begins to understand the man he’s going to become.”
“When I had the idea to create the ‘Power’ Universe I knew there were going to be many levels to its success, I am glad the fans agree. I am looking forward to releasing ‘Raising Kanan’ and ‘Force’ soon,” added executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
The series hails from Lionsgate Television and also includes Mark Canton, Chris Selak, Danielle De Jesus, Shana Stein and Bart Wenrich among its exec producers.
Looking further into the future of the “Power” universe, Starz has already commissioned “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” a prequel set in the ’90s during the early years of “Power” character Kanan Stark; “Power Book IV: Influence,” which follows Rashad Tate (Larenz Tate in the initial series) in his pursuit of political power; and “Power Book V: Force,” centering on Joseph Sikora’s character of Tommy Egan, Ghost’s partner in crime, after he cuts ties and leaves New York.
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