Beef season two arrives on Netflix in just a matter of days with an all-star cast taking over the hit anthology series.

Beef season 2 cast, release date and plot (Image: NETFLIX)

Beef season two ranks among the most hotly anticipated streaming releases of the year, and it’s set to land on Netflix in just a matter of days.

Created by Lee Sung Jin, the debut season launched in 2023 and became a runaway success, leaving legions of fans desperately clamouring for a follow-up.

Following season one’s gripping rivalry between Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) and Ali Wong (Always Be My Maybe), the series has leant into its anthology format and returns next week with an entirely fresh cast.

Season two is well worth adding to your watchlist — one fan declared the first “the best Netflix show by far”, while a Reddit user insisted it was “hands down one of the best TV series I’ve watched in a very long time. It had me laughing, crying, and just feeling all the feels.”

But who features in the new line-up, what does the new season have in store, and when will fresh episodes of Beef be available to watch? Here’s everything you need to know.

Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan play a couple who get caught in a heated row (Image: NETFLIX)

Who is in the cast of Beef season 2?

An impressive ensemble has assembled for the new season, with a host of familiar faces from major blockbusters and acclaimed television joining the ranks.

The central cast comprises Oscar Isaac as Joshua ‘Josh’ Martín, Carey Mulligan as Lindsay Crane-Martín, Charles Melton as Austin Davis, and Cailee Spaeny as Ashley Miller.

Leading man Isaac is perhaps best recognised for his roles in two major sci-fi franchises, Dune and Star Wars, and has additionally portrayed Marc Spector/Moon Knight in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His most recent role saw him play Victor Frankenstein in the critically acclaimed adaptation of the Mary Shelley classic directed by Guillermo Del Toro.

Charles Melton as Austin Davis in Beef season 2 (Image: NETFLIX)

British actress Mulligan has earned Academy Award nominations for her performances in An Education, Promising Young Woman, and Maestro. She has further featured in iconic films such as Drive, Never Let Me Go, The Great Gatsby and Saltburn. Her next appearance will be in the forthcoming Chronicles of Narnia reboot helmed by Barbie director Greta Gerwig.

Melton first gained widespread attention portraying Reggie Mantle in the CW series Riverdale and has subsequently earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Todd Haynes’ May December, alongside Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. He also featured in last year’s acclaimed war film Warfare, directed by Alex Garland.

Spaeny garnered worldwide recognition and a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s biographical picture Priscilla, opposite Jacob Elordi as Elvis. She has additionally collaborated with Garland on his 2024 thriller Civil War, and has starred in the hugely successful Alien: Romulus and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Korean star Song Kang-ho makes guest appearances in the new season (Image: NETFLIX)

The series will also boast special guest appearances from two towering figures of Korean cinema, Youn Yuh-jung as Chairwoman Park and Song Kang-ho as Dr. Kim. Yuh-jung became the first Korean actress to win a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Independent Spirit Award, a British Academy Film Award, and an Academy Award for her role in the widely celebrated family drama Minari, and has since appeared in Apple TV’s Pachinko and the romantic comedy film The Wedding Banquet.

Kang-ho has starred in some of the most beloved Korean films ever made, including his long-standing collaborations with director Bong Joon-ho in Memories of Murder, Snowpiercer, and Parasite. He is equally well known for Broker, A Taxi Driver, and The Age of Shadows, and made his television debut in Disney+’s K-drama Uncle Samsik.

Beef season two’s supporting cast also includes Seoyeon Jang (Butterfly) as Eunice, William Fichtner (The Dark Knight) as Troy, Mikaela Hoover (Superman) as Ava, and musician BM making his acting debut as Woosh.

William Fichtner and Mikaela Hoover in Beef season 2 (Image: NETFLIX)

What is Beef season 2 about?

The second series of Beef will up the ante by centring on two couples who become embroiled in a tense rivalry following a significant misunderstanding.

This time, Melton and Spaeny will portray employees at an upmarket country club, who witness their boss Josh engaged in what appears to be a violent altercation with his wife, Lindsay.

Both couples subsequently become embroiled in a battle of blackmail, deception, and manipulation as all four attempt to secure favour from the club’s billionaire proprietor, Chairwoman Park, who faces her own controversy concerning her second husband, Dr. Kim.

Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung as the club’s owner Chairwoman Park (Image: NETFLIX)

When will Beef season 2 be released?

Fans don’t have much longer to wait as the new season of Beef will be hitting Netflix on Thursday, 16th April.

The new instalment will consist of eight episodes as opposed to the 10-part first season and will be dropping on the streaming service all at once.

New releases on the platform typically drop at midnight Pacific Time (or 3am Eastern Time), as the Netflix offices are based in California. This means that fans in the UK will be able to tune in from 8am on Thursday morning.

Beef season 2 releases Thursday, 16th April.