National Geographic announced Genius from executive producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Gigi Pritztger, and showrunner Ken Biller has earned an early season two renewal. Season one is set to premiere on April 25, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT and stars Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein, Johnny Flynn as the younger Albert, and Emily Watson as Albert’s second wife, Elsa Einstein. The genius who will be the focus of the second season of the anthology series will be revealed during the season one finale on June 20, 2017.
“We are thrilled to bring back Genius for a second season and establish National Geographic’s presence in scripted television. The Genius franchise has proved to be the epitome of the premium, smart and highly entertaining content that our brand embodies and our audience craves,” stated CEO of National Geographic Global Networks Courteney Monroe.
“Season one of Genius tells the fascinating backstory of the influential physicist Albert Einstein, and we are excited to delve into the life of another brilliant icon in season two, continuing our successful partnership with National Geographic and Fox 21 Television Studios,” said executive producer Ron Howard. “But we also love a little mystery, so the world will have to wait until our season one finale on June 20 to see our big unveil of the season two genius.”
“Our friends at Nat Geo have been spectacular partners, and we’re excited to continue to continue the journey with them next season,” added Bert Salke. “Ron, Brian and Ken are master storytellers who have outdone themselves on this first installment, and considering the stellar work of our cast led by Geoffrey, Johnny and Emily, the bar for the franchise has been set incredibly high. But it is also so rich with possibilities, but we can wait to get to work identifying and profiling our next genius.”
The Season One Plot: Genius charts how Albert Einstein, an imaginative, rebellious patent clerk who struggled to land an academic post in his early years, went on to become the greatest scientific mind of the 20th century, all while juggling volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. Ron Howard makes his prime-time television drama directorial debut with the series premiere episode.
