Amazon Freevee Picks Up ‘American Rust’ Starring Jeff Daniels for Season 2 After Showtime Cancellation

(L-R): Maura Tierney as Grace and Jeff Daniels as Del Harris in AMERICAN RUST, "Jojo Ameri-Go" Photo credit: Dennis Mong/SHOWTIME.
Dennis Mong

Amazon Freevee is bringing back “American Rust” for Season 2 following the show’s cancellation at Showtime.

“American Rust,” based on the Philipp Meyer novel of the same name, stars Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney. The show aired one season on Showtime in late 2021 before it was canceled in January 2022.

“’American Rust’ is exactly the type of gritty and engaging storytelling Amazon Freevee audiences love, and we could not be more excited to bring this prestige series to our customers, free of charge,” said Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of content and programming at Amazon Freevee. “We can’t wait to dive in with Boat Rocker and Dan Futterman to continue the story that intrigued audiences during the first season, and to see the evolution of characters so expertly portrayed by Jeff and Maura in this next chapter.”

The series takes place in a Rust Belt town in southwest Pennsylvania and is told through the eyes of police chief Del Harris (Daniels). Harris becomes compromised when the son of the woman he loves (Tierney) is accused of murder, and he is forced to decide what he’s willing to do to protect him. Production on the second season is scheduled to begin later this year with Daniels and Tierney returning.

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“I’m grateful to Amazon Freevee for giving us the chance to make Season Two of ‘American Rust,'” Daniels said. “Set inside a struggling American small town, our authentic, realistically told story is built for streaming. The movies they don’t make anymore are being made as series at places like Amazon Freevee. It’s where I want to be.”

Dan Futterman adapted the book for the screen and serves as an executive producer. Daniels, Adam Rapp, Paul Martino, Michael De Luca, and Katie O’Connell Marsh for Boat Rocker executive produce as well along with Elisa Ellis. Boat Rocker produces the show and distributes it globally.

“We’re delighted to work with the wonderful team at Amazon Freevee to bring ‘American Rust’ back for a second season,” said Steve Lescroart, president of Boat Rocker Studios’ scripted division. “The source material for this series is incredibly rich, and when you add in the world-class talents of Dan Futterman, Jeff Daniels, Maura Tierney, Adam Rapp, and the entire cast and crew, Season Two is sure to enthrall viewers who enjoy premium content. We’re really pleased to have the opportunity to continue telling this story.”

Amazon Freevee was originally named IMDbTV, but was rebranded in April. The AVOD streamer currently airs shows like “Bosch: Legacy,” which was renewed for a second season. Upcoming shows for the service include “Sprung” from Greg Garcia and “High School” from Clea DuVall.