As the critically acclaimed series Ozark returns for season two, stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney take readers behind the scenes of the popular Netflix crime drama. On the Atlanta set — where they were shot exclusively for emmy by photographer Nigel Parry — Bateman and Linney discuss their roles as Marty and Wendy Byrde, a seemingly ordinary couple drawn into a deadly money-laundering scheme controlled by a Mexican cartel. The latest issue of the Television Academy's award-winning emmy magazine explores the creative vision for the higher-intensity second season and hits newsstands May 8.
Despite earning two Emmy nominations for his work in Arrested Development, Bateman was not looking to return to series television. However, once he read creator Bill Dubuque's script, he knew he wanted to run the show and signed on as executive producer. He shares creative responsibilities with head writer Chris Mundy and is involved in shooting, casting and editing the series. Bateman reveals that he personally pursued Emmy Award-winning actress Laura Linney (Genius; Mr. Holmes) for the role of his wife.
Familiar with her pedigree Bateman knew Linney's involvement would help the production. On screen the chemistry between them amplifies the dramatic tension and brings humanity to the show. "I just followed an instinct," explains Linney. "The world of Ozark itself is interesting, but really I wanted to help Jason create something that was different for him."
In the emmy cover story "The Deep End," both Bateman and Mundy share their vision for the second season. "We wanted to make sure that despite these insane things happening and this crazy premise, at every point we were trying to ground it in reality," says Mundy. "We really thought about it as a story about a family in the middle of this."
"From a visual sense I thought it was important to create an environment, an atmosphere, a tone, a palette that felt kind of raw and authentic and a little frayed," Bateman explains. "Bad things could happen here."
The second season of Ozark is expected to be released on Netflix this summer.
Additional feature highlights from the new issue include:
After eight seasons of wearing many hats for IFC's Portlandia, Carrie Brownstein is moving on; but she's not slowing down. In "The New Normal" Brownstein talks about her upcoming projects and shares what the future holds for her.
In "Losing Sleep Over Electric Dreams" emmy explores the making of Amazon's Electric Dreams, an anthology of episodes based on short stories penned by acclaimed science-fiction author Philip K. Dick. Producer Michael Dinner details the challenges faced by the cast and crew as they filmed episodes on two continents.
Emmy profiles Robin Thede in "Change in the Air." As the only African-American woman with her own late-night show, BET's The Rundown with Robin Thede, she relishes the opportunity "to cover things differently and to address with authenticity issues that affect black women."
About emmy
Emmy, the official publication of the Television Academy, goes behind the scenes of the industry for a unique insider's view. It showcases the scope of television and profiles the people who make TV happen, from the stars of top shows to the pros behind the cameras, covering programming trends and advances in technology. Honored consistently for excellence, emmy is a six-time Maggie Award winner as Best Trade Publication in Communications or the Arts and has collected 52 Maggies from the Western Publishing Association. Emmy is available on selected newsstands and at TelevisionAcademy.com for single print and digital copies as well as subscriptions.
Download the press release here.
For issue/coverage contacts:
Carla Schalman
carla@breakwhitelight.com
310.827.3169
Daina Rama
daina@breakwhitelight.com
310.525.6496
breakwhitelight for the Television Academy
