It’s time to get back in the ring. But in a world of over-the-top melodrama, bruises, and back pains, it’s also time to ask who is actually in your corner when someone is pummeling you off the top rope. That’s basically the central premise of “Heels,” STARZ’s series about professional wrestling and all the behind-the-scenes drama involved in this entertaining sport. Today STARZ released the trailer for season two of the critically-acclaimed drama “Heels,” which returns to the ring for season two next month. Starring Stephen Amell (“Arrow”) and Alexander Ludwig(“Vikings”), the small-town sports drama series based on a wrestling league in rural Georgia will debut on STARZ app and linear TV Friday, July 28, 2023.
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Season two also stars Alison Luff (“New Amsterdam”) as Staci Spade, Mary McCormack (“Deep Impact,” “The L Word”) as Willie Day, Kelli Berglund (“The Goldbergs,” “The Animal Kingdom”) as Crystal Tyler, Allen Maldonado (“House Party,” “The Wonder Years,” “The Last O.G.”) as Rooster Robbins, Chris Bauer (“Gaslit,” “Survivor’s Remorse,” “True Blood”) as Wild Bill Hancock, Trey Tucker (“The Outpost”) as Bobby Pin, Robby Ramos (“Chicago P.D.”) as Diego Cottonmouth,Alice Barrett Mitchell (“The Thing About Pam,” “Billions”) as Carol Spade, Roxton Garcia(“Reminensce”) as Thomas Spade, David James Elliott (“Trumbo,” “JAG”) as Tom Spade, Joel Murray(“Mad Men,” “Shameless”) as Eddie Earl, CM Punk(“Mayans,” “AEW Dynamite”) as Ricky Rabies, AJ Mendez (“Women of Wrestling,” “WWE”) as Elle Dorado, Josh Segarra (Scream VI, “Arrow,” “The Other Two”) as Brooks Rizzo, and Emmy Raver-Lampman as Jen Lussier.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“Heels” is aptly named after the wrestling term for a villain or antagonist. Most stories center around heroes vs. villains, but in wrestling, it’s faces vs. heels. Season two brings fans back to the family-owned wrestling organization, Duffy Wrestling League (DWL), where brothers and rivals, Jack (Amell) and Ace Spade (Ludwig), continue to fightover their late father’s legacy and their individual versions of success, while also working to find their own identity as a “face” or a “heel.” The show invokes feelings of nostalgia akin to “Friday Night Lights,” while covering topics like the effects of trauma on communities, finding personal identity, and women taking the lead in every facet. It is centered around a small-town community where everyone knows each other and everyone in town follows the saga of the Heels and Faces in the DWL.
“Heels” showrunner and executive producer Mike O’Malley (“Survivor’s Remorse,” “Shameless”) also portrays Charlie Gully on the series. Michael Waldron (“Loki,” “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Rick and Morty”) is the show creator. Christopher Donnelly (“By Sidney Lumet”), Pete Segal (“Get Smart”), Patrick Walmsley (“JT LeRoy”), and Julie Yorn (“White Boy Rick”) also serve as executive producers on the series. “Heels” is produced through O’Malley Ink and LBI Entertainment in association with Lionsgate Television for STARZ.
“Heels” returns for season two on July 28. Check out the new trailer below.