96% Rotten Tomatoes Megahit Sci-Fi Series Gets Renewed for a Second Season

Apple TV+ has decided to bring back the show Murderbot for a second season. The announcement came just a day before the first season’s finale, which will air on July 11. The series stars Alexander Skarsgård as Murderbot, a security robot who secretly has free will. Instead of just following orders, Murderbot wants to watch its favorite futuristic TV shows and figure out who it really is.

The show is based on the first book of the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, a series that has won big awards like the Hugo and Nebula. The first season started on May 16, 2025, and was created by Chris and Paul Weitz, who also adapted the book for TV and serve as the showrunners.

The Weitz brothers said, “We’re so grateful for the response that Murderbot has received and delighted that we’re getting to go back to Martha Wells’ world to work with Alexander, Apple, CBS Studios and the rest of the team.”

Matt Cherniss, who is the head of programming at Apple TV+, added, “Chris, Paul, Alexander and the entire Murderbot team have delivered a brilliantly original, addictive, witty and vibrant adaptation that has captured the imagination of audiences everywhere. We can’t wait to unveil what’s next for Murderbot and, of course, Sanctuary Moon in season two.”

The show is a mix of science fiction, action, and comedy, following a cyborg who is obsessed with media but also has to do dangerous jobs. Murderbot tries to hide that it is now free-thinking while dealing with humans, who it both likes and finds frustrating.

Besides Alexander Skarsgård, the cast includes Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, and Tamara Podemski. The production team includes the Weitz brothers, Andrew Miano from Depth of Field, David S. Goyer, and Keith Levine from Phantom Four. Martha Wells is also involved as a consulting producer.

The show has been well-liked by critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 96% approval rating based on 71 reviews, with their summary saying, “Alexander Skarsgård’s superbly dry wit brings a lot of heart to Murderbot, making for a refreshingly jaunty sci-fi saga about finally coming out of one’s shell.” Metacritic gave the show a score of 71 out of 100 from 28 critics, calling it “generally favorable.”

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