Widow's Bay Season 2 Confirms Major New Cast Change

Published Aug 20, 2026, 9:22 AM EDT Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. Widow's Bay season 2 is getting a casting shake-up. Apple TV has confirmed a major new casting change as development of the horror comedy show's return continues. The cast of Widow's Bay is led by Matthew Rhys, who plays Mayor Tom Loftis, who's trying to turn the island into a tourist spot, slowly growing more aware of the curse surrounding the town. As season 1 plays out, he works side-by-side with Patricia Moyer (Kate O'Flynn) and Wyck Crawford (Stephen Root) to try and end the curse that keeps its residents trapped and tormented. Season 2 is currently in development, with no release window as of writing. Taking to X, Apple TV confirmed that Jeff Hiller has been promoted to a series regular for Widow's Bay season 2, his role as Dale getting even bigger when the series returns. The news of his promotion to a series regular follows his key role at the end of season 1, when he discovers video evidence that the town has been sacrificing people to the entity living beneath it for generations in order to quell its curse. This lays the groundwork for his series regular status, opening the door for him to become more involved in the wider mystery. Widow's Bay season 1 ended with a plethora of open doors for where the story is going to go from here. Tom discovers that his son, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick), is the final descendant of the Warrens, a shake-up that will change how he approaches the curse moving forward. Sheriff Bechir (Kevin Carroll) shoots and kills Ruth (K Callan), believing her to be the final descendant. In the meantime, Evan and his friends lock a custodian inside a sacrificial chamber, leading to his death, but also stopping the storm outside. However, the island is demanding eight more sacrifices. Now that Dale knows the truth about Widow's Bay and its history, the show has laid the groundwork for him to have a greater importance going forward. He was panicked upon learning what's really going on in the town, something that furthers the idea that he'll be let into the fold once the series comes back. By having more people involved, the group might be able to find some way of stopping the curse without killing Evan — though Tom is keeping his son's descent a secret to ensure nobody tries to hurt him. Widow's Bay season 2 was confirmed in June 2026, the middle of season 1 still airing weekly on Apple TV. Given the show has enjoyed critical acclaim, it sets a high bar for its forthcoming return. However, series creator Katie Dippold has a strong vision of where the show will go, with the setup already fortifying some tragic, scary, and even funny circumstances to come. The entity requires eight more sacrifices, a point that Dale's discovery will likely yield for the whole group. Hiller's promotion will be his first main cast role in a TV show since 2022's American Horror Story: NYC. It also allows him to further showcase his comedic approach to his characters, giving him more screen time while the story grows ever more complicated. Since Widow's Bay season 2 is still in development, more will likely be revealed in the months leading up to its eventual release. Release Date April 28, 2026 Network Apple TV Showrunner Katie Dippold Cast Matthew Rhys Mayor Tom Loftis Directors Sam Donovan, Andrew DeYoung, Hiro Murai, Ti West Writers Alberto Roldán, Neil Casey, Kelly Galuska, Colton Dunn, Dave Harris, Katie Dippold, Mackenzie Dohr Creator(s) Katie Dippold