Hallelujah our prayers for a first look at season 2 ofThe Righteous Gemstoneshave finally been answered.
How close were you to starting season 2 when COVID hit?
DANNY MCBRIDE:We were shooting, it was our third day of production.
Adam Devine, John Goodman, Edi Patterson, and Danny McBride on ‘The Righteous Gemstones’.Ryan Green/HBO
I think the day we shut down was the same day thatTom Hanks was diagnosedandthe NBA shut down.
It all became very real, real quick, like, “S, Tom Hanks has it!
F, the world is ending!”
Danny McBride and Cassidy Freeman on ‘The Righteous Gemstones’.Ryan Green/HBO
Had you already written the entire season by that point?
And then the moment I did I basically rewrote the entire season.
So you have not hadGemstones, but I’ve had more than enough fingGemstones.
Adam Devine, John Goodman, Edi Patterson, Danny McBride, and Cassidy Freeman on ‘The Righteous Gemstones’.Ryan Green/HBO
[Laughs]
Were those changes pandemic-specific?
Or more about just going in different directions with certain story lines?
It was really non-pandemic.
Tony Cavalero and Adam Devine on ‘The Righteous Gemstones’.Ryan Green/HBO
When did you finally restart production?
We started in March of this year, so we’ve been shooting for almost seven months now.
It’s been totally insane.
Edi Patterson and Tim Baltz on ‘The Righteous Gemstones’.Ryan Green/HBO
So it’s been a feat.
We have one week left of shooting, so knock on wood that we can finish this sucker up.
He was wanting them before it was cool!
Walton Goggins on ‘The Righteous Gemstones’.Ryan Green/HBO
He just had the wrong idea of what you’re gonna wanna get vaccinated for.
[Laughs] But the thought was there.
What will the state of the Gemstone family be at the start of season 2?
Eric Andre and Jessica Lowe on ‘The Righteous Gemstones’.Ryan Green/HBO
What are those dynamics like when we return?
So I know what happened in Haiti but the rest of the world will never know!
How about Kelvin (Adam Devine) and Keefe (Tony Cavalero)?
Jason Schwartzman on ‘The Righteous Gemstones’.Ryan Green/HBO
He’s recruited a bunch of musclemen, and they all work out together and praise the Lord together.
So he’s sort of created a muscleman army that he’s housing and training.
(Tim Baltz) got back together in the season 1 finale.
What can we expect now that these two are closer than ever?
Some people are rubbed wrong by that, and it doesn’t do anything to ingratiate B.J.
into the Gemstone clan.
How about Eli (John Goodman)?
He forgave his kids for their betrayals but said he’d never forget what they did.
Eli is who we do our deep dive on this season.
The story really involves Eli and a little bit more of Eli’s history and where he comes from.
The audience is going to learn a lot more about Eli and who he was.
Last season, the deep dive into the past featured a lot ofBaby Billy (Walton Goggins).
In the finale, he died and then lived.
I won’t ruin it for you, but Baby Billy definitely comes back with a bang this year.
I mean, I think I’ve already watchedBad Triplike four times…
It’s so good.
Eric plays a megachurch pastor from Texas who has the same thing going on as the Gemstones.
And Jason Schwartzman is playing a journalist named Thaniel, right?
Yeah, he’s a journalist.
And the Gemstones end up finding themselves in his crosshairs.
Lastly, Eric Roberts.
Is his character, Junior, tied into that Eli story line?
Eric Roberts is awesome, we had such a great time with him.
He’s tied into Eli’s background and where Eli comes from.
He’s a face from the past who ends up mixing with the present, to a little controversy.
This thing has been such a treat to write, and it probably kept me sane during quarantine.
