AMC announced  the start of production on season 2 of the original series, “The Son” in Austin, TX.  In addition, the network announced that Lady Bird star Lois Smith as well as Glenn Stanton,David Sullivan, Duke Davis Roberts, Alex Hernandez and Jeremy Bobb will join the cast as recurring guest stars. They join series regulars Pierce Brosnan (Eli McCullough), Jacob Lofland (Young Eli), Henry Garrett (Pete McCullough), Paola Nunez (Maria Garcia), Zahn McClarnon (Toshaway), Jess Weixler (Sally McCullough), David Wilson Barnes (Phineas McCullough), Sydney Lucas (Jeannie McCullough), James Parks (Niles Gilbert) and Elizabeth Frances (Prairie Flower). “The Son,” which will return in 2018, is produced by AMC Studios and Sonar Entertainment. Showrunner Kevin Murphy (“Defiance”), director Kevin Dowling and Sonar Entertainment’s Tom Lesinski and Jenna Santoianni are Executive Producers.

Based on Philipp Meyer’s New York Times best-selling and Pulitzer Prize finalist novel of the same name, “The Son” is a multi-generational saga about the birth of America and the rise and fall of the McCullough’s, a Texas ranching and oil family. Season 2 finds Eli McCullough battling his most formidable enemy yet — a powerful business interest that will threaten his brood, legacy and burgeoning empire.  In the midst of this growing storm, Eli’s son, Pete, returns home and brings more strain to the complicated internal dynamic. Meanwhile, in 1851, Young Eli is now a married man and a respected warrior among the Comanches, but when tragedy strikes his already stressed band, he is forced into a leadership position.  Broadening the scope, 1988 is introduced, bringing the McCullough saga into the more immediate past.  Here, at 85 years old, Jeanne Anne McCullough is forced to come to terms with a long-buried family secret. Throughout the season each member of the family will be forced to confront the sins of their past and adapt to a rapidly changing and unwelcoming world.

Lois Smith joins the cast as Jeanne Anne McCullough at 85 years old in 1988. One of the last survivors of the McCullough clan, she’s aged into a suspicious and guarded cynic who lives alone on the family ranch while still presiding over a large, multinational oil concern. Her storied career has included roles in film and the Broadway stage and she most recently appeared in the hit independent film Lady Bird. Additional credits include True Blood, Minority Report and her critically acclaimed performance in this year’s film, Marjorie Prime.

Jeremy Bobb plays Buddy Monahan, an affable and gregarious former wildcatter who now works as a fixer for Standard Oil of Pennsylvania. He’s a striver and a corporate climber, circa 1916, keen to prove his worth to his backers up north by cajoling ranchers into selling away their mineral rights. Bobb recently appeared in Godless, Manhunt Unabomber and The Knick.

Duke Davis Roberts plays Nocona, Young Eli’s friend and supporter within the Comanche world. Nocona is physically imposing, but also good natured and jocular. He is curious about the white world, and has been slowly learning English from Young Eli. Roberts prior credits include recurring roles on The Night Shift and Justified.

Glenn Stanton plays Fat Wolf, Toshaway’s estranged biological son who is now chief of another band of Comanches known as the Yap-Eaters. The two Chiefs will be forced to confront a deep and lingering animosity. He stars in the upcoming Blackpills series, Simi Valley.

David Sullivan plays Matthew Wentworth, a self-assured captain in the Texas National Guard who maintains a close relationship with Phineas McCullough, and acts as his confidante and booster. Sullivan most recently appeared in Flaked and will next be seen in the HBO miniseries, Sharp Objects.

Alex Hernandez plays Ulises Gonzales, an intelligent and ambitious Mexican immigrant working illegally for Jeanne Anne in 1988. His prowess working with horses provides him with the chance to spend more time with Jeanne Anne and to learn more about the storied McCullough family’s history. Hernandez will next be seen in the third season of the Peabody-winning series, UNREAL.