The TV series Under The Dome, based on a book of the same name by Stephen King, was a huge hit last summer, and a second season is on the way. There's been a slow and steady drip of information on what to expect, but filming finally started last week, so we round up all the rumours into one handy guide. Here's 10 things we know so far...
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1. Stephen King himself is writing and directing the first episode
First revealed in July last year when the series got recommissioned, with CBS President Nina Tassler stating that “We’re excited to tell more stories about the mystery of the dome and the secrets in Chester's Mill, and are thrilled to have the master storyteller himself, Stephen King, tell the first one of next season.”
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2. The first episode will air on June 30th
Monday June 30th is the anointed day, with 10pm EST the exact time, so mark your calendar for the return of one of last year's most talked-about shows.
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3. The premiere will see two characters killed off
Various sources have confirmed that two 'favourite' characters won't make it through the Season 2 premiere. Who will be the ones killed off? No one knows, but that hasn't stopped plenty of fevered speculation.
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4. There will be a reprise of the church scene in the Season 1 finale
According to Examiner, a casting call posted on March 8th requested people who worked in the church scene to return for a "physical scene", shooting on March 10th in Southport.
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5. Sherry Stringfield Has Joined The Cast
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the ER star would take on the recurring role of a mysterious character named Pauline, who may be connected to the origins of the dome. Executive producer Neal Baer has worked with Stringfield before on the hospital drama, so knows her well - he described it as a 'pivotal' role.
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6. So have three other new actors
Also confirmed to star are Eddie Cahill (CSI:NY), who will play Big Jim's reclusive brother-in-law Sam, Karla Crome (Misfits), who'll play a schoolteacher named Rebecca (both pictured above) and newcomer Grace Victoria Cox, who will play Melanie, a mysterious figure who was described by Hollywood Reporter as "a clear contrast to Norrie", who will portray "the lithe, mysterious, beautiful and almost regal Melanie, who catches the eye of Joe."
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7. There'll be 13 episodes
The second season will be the same length as the first - lucky for us. Producer Neal Baer explained why he opted for this length, rather than 22 episodes, saying to Digital Spy, "I think 13 episodes is ideal and I think that's how we were able to surprise people. People didn't think viewers would watch a show like this, especially in the summer. And we proved them wrong on both accounts."
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8. There should be three more seasons to follow
Producer Neal Baer stated in the same interview that "Five seasons would be great, we'd love that" - he also said that he already knows the ending.
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9. Filming is underway
A tweet last week from Stephen King himself confirmed that production started on March 3rd - so it's fully off and running.
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10. Stephen King is enjoying himself on set
The great man himself is really getting the hang of this Twitter thing...
(Images: Rex/AllStar)
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