‘Escort Boys’ Producer Reveals Darker, More Dramatic Season 2 and Exciting New Projects!

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Following the exploration of power imbalances between genders during the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, Amazon Prime Video’s bawdy comedy series “Escort Boys” is back for a second season with a significantly darker tone. This new season is making its world debut today at Canneseries.

Based on the Israeli show “Johnny and the Knights of Galilee” (“Milk & Honey”), this half-hour comedy is directed by Ruben Alves. The series follows four young men who resort to working as escorts as a means to survive, all while trying to save their struggling family business in a charming town nestled in Southern France.

Confidently tackling contemporary topics like romantic affection, feminine sensuality, and harmful masculinity, Season 1 proved successful, drawing in Wild Bunch TV for international distribution (of seasons 1 and 2), and France’s major commercial broadcaster TF1 purchasing secondary broadcasting rights.

Myriam Gharbi-de Vasselot from Oberkampf Productions (the makers of “Les Papillons Noirs”), which is owned by Mediawan, along with Charlotte Toledano-Detaille and RTL TVI, announced that Season 2 will deviate from the initial format. According to Gharbi-de Vasselot, this new season represents a fresh creation, one where João Alves collaborates once more with Yaël Lebrati (from “Dear You”), and they are joined by Louis Pénicaut (“Le Bureau des Legendes”).

Season 2 takes place six months following the close of Season 1, where the principal characters chose to abandon escorting and venture into opening a hotel. However, their hotel endeavor turned sour and became a disaster, leaving them swindled and saddled with debt. As a result, they were compelled to return to their previous line of work, having lost their property due to these financial woes. This is according to de Vasselot, who has also produced a documentary on male escorts, which Wild Bunch TV acquired alongside the first two seasons of “Escort Boys.

She mentions that they will be examining the ramifications and boundaries associated with prostitution, given its sensitive nature. To maintain authenticity, she assures us that they’re approaching the topic honestly. In the narrative, one of the main characters, Ludo, grapples with a sex addiction, serving as a paternal figure. Moreover, the storyline will also present a woman who has suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her spouse. This woman is on a journey to heal from her trauma and regain connection with herself through interactions with an escort.

She remarks, “Ruben Alves is known for his unique approach that seamlessly blends drama with humor.” Moving forward to the second season, she assures us it will lean more towards drama. However, she promises there will still be humorous moments, some bordering on the absurd or amusing, others heartwarmingly poignant. The characters will continue to be varied and portrayed by talented guest stars.

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She points out that Ruben Alves’s work is characterized by a mix of drama and comedy. For the upcoming second season, she anticipates it will be more dramatic, but there will still be comedic scenes, some absurd or amusing, others touching and heartfelt. The characters will continue to be diverse, with guest stars who deliver exceptional performances.

Among those joining the main cast in this production are Josiane Balasko, Marisa Berenson (from “Barry Lyndon”), Thibault De Montalembert (“Call My Agent!”), Margot Bancilhon (“Machine”), Cristiana Reali (“Camping 3”), and Afida Turner (“LOL”). I’m fortunate to be part of this stellar ensemble alongside Guillaume Labbé, Thibaut Evrard, Simon Ehrlacher, Corentin Fila, and Marysole Fertard.

The TV series will make its debut in France on June 13, with subsequent releases following in Italy, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

De Vasselot is also working on numerous international projects in collaboration with various partners and talents, one of whom is Olivier Abbou, previously worked together on the Netflix serial killer thriller “Les Papillons Noirs.” She has joined forces with Nathalie Perus at Atlantique Productions, another Mediawan label, to acquire the rights to a bestselling American book. The adaptation of this book is being written by Abbou and Laura Fontaine (“Research Unit”).

She’s collaborating with Sarah Farkas, co-creator of “Vortex,” Marjorie Bosch (also known as Sam), and Amanda Sthers, the filmmaker-screenwriter behind “Holy Lands,” on a female-led series that is in the advanced stages of development at a streaming platform. This project will be based on an original story focusing on two journalists tasked with fabricating news.

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2025-04-26 23:16