Variety has reported that according to creators Robert King and Michelle King, the supernatural horror thriller Evil is reaping the benefits from its shift to Paramount+ last month, as Season 2 will be re-edited to adjust for a more sinful spin on the series. As the Kings recall, president of CBS Studios David Stapf explained to the creators that the move was a very healthy one for Evil as a streaming series, as it would allow them the chance to "broaden the audience" with Paramount+, and enable the show to be released in a big way.
Evil will be the second show the Kings have streaming on Paramount+, along with The Good Fight, which originally streamed on the then called CBS All Access and is currently set to premiere June 24, only days after the premiere of Evil Season 2 on June 20.
Robert King joked about the move to Paramount+, saying, "We’re just the silly creatives that are like, ‘OK, guide us along — tell us why this is a good idea!’" As King puts it, being on streaming liberates them from being "bound into that 42-minute straightjacket" in terms of now being able to expand the runtime for the episodes if the story calls for it. "Creatively, it's a godsend," King adds.
It wasn't until they were working on the editing of Episode 5 that the Kings were informed of the move. This allowed the creators to re-add scenes that were cut due to length, language, or sexuality. “We had footage that was a little like, ‘Oh fuck, we’ll never get this past standards and practices!’” King continues.
Although the plot of Evil is largely centered around supernatural horror and ghost stories, the new season is looking to add current events into the mix to spice up the series even further. According to Michelle King, a police-focused episode inspired by the murder of George Floyd is in the mix, where David will have to face racism in the church, as well as the haunting Leland played by Michael Emerson that follows David around whispering, “Why would you want to be part of this racist institution?”. King adds:
“We are now editing with Paramount Plus in mind. So it will feel like a streaming show", “It’s been tough to do sin with network standards".
It seems that fans are in for a wild ride during Evil Season 2, so be sure to catch up on the complete first season on Netflix and Parmount+ before the season 2 premiere on June 20!