Honestly, if you spent your summer watching Vince Vaughn talk a mile a minute to a capuchin monkey while dodging sun-baked Florida homicide, you’ve probably been itching for more. Apple TV+ finally confirmed what we all suspected: Andrew Yancy is coming back. Bad Monkey Season 2 is officially happening, and it’s shaping up to be even weirder than the first run.
Bill Lawrence, the guy behind Ted Lasso and Scrubs, has a knack for finding the sweet spot between "I might cry" and "I can't stop laughing." He struck gold with Carl Hiaasen’s source material. The first season was a hit because it didn't try to be a gritty true-crime slog. It was bright. It was sweaty. It had a severed arm in a freezer. What’s not to love?
Now, we’re looking at a 2026 release window, and the rumor mill is churning out some wild details about where Yancy is headed next.
Where is Bad Monkey Season 2 Filming?
Here is the kicker: the show is moving. Well, at least the production is. Reports from late 2025 indicated that while the story is still very much a Florida fever dream, the cameras have actually been rolling in California. Variety noted a massive $20.6 million tax incentive that lured the production to the West Coast.
Does this mean Yancy is leaving the Keys?
✨ Don't miss: Why the Cast of Hold Your Breath 2024 Makes This Dust Bowl Horror Actually Work
Probably not for good. The soul of a Carl Hiaasen story is the Florida humidity and the inherent absurdity of the Sunshine State. However, some early whispers suggested a shift toward Los Angeles for certain plot points. It’s a bit of a gamble, but if anyone can make a California soundstage look like a mangrove swamp, it’s this crew.
Who is Joining the Bad Monkey Season 2 Cast?
Vince Vaughn is obviously returning. He is the show. His Andrew Yancy is basically a fast-talking human hurricane who just wants his detective badge back (and maybe a decent sandwich). But the new additions for the second season are where things get really interesting.
- John Malkovich has signed on as a series regular. He’s playing a guy named Spencer, described as the head of a major South Florida criminal organization. Just imagine Malkovich’s high-strung energy clashing with Vaughn’s deadpan delivery. It’s a match made in casting heaven.
- Keyla Monterroso Mejia (from Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Mo Amer are also jumping on board as recurring guests.
- Sam Jaeger and Nate Jackson were added late in 2025.
- Peter Billingsley—yes, Ralphie from A Christmas Story—is joining the cast too. He and Vaughn are long-time friends, so expect some great chemistry there.
As for the returning favorites, John Ortiz is back as Rogelio. He’s been upped to a series regular, which means we’ll see way more of his long-suffering friendship with Yancy. Natalie Martinez is also expected to return as Rosa, despite things ending on a bit of a "we're taking a break" note in the season one finale.
The Razor Girl Mystery
If you’re a fan of the books, you know Hiaasen wrote a sequel called Razor Girl.
🔗 Read more: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
In that book, Yancy gets mixed up with a woman who rear-ends cars while shaving her... well, let's just say she uses a razor as a distraction for a kidnapping scam. It involves a reality TV star and giant Gambian pouched rats. It is quintessential Hiaasen.
However, there’s been some conflicting info here. Some sources say the show will strictly follow Razor Girl, while others, including some early Deadline reports, suggested Season 2 might tell an "original story" that just borrows elements from the sequel. Bill Lawrence has been a bit coy, but he’s admitted that Razor Girl was the reason he wanted to do the show in the first place. He saw a three-season arc from the start.
Why Bad Monkey Season 2 Matters in 2026
The first season dropped in 2024 and became a sleeper hit. People were tired of dark, grey, depressing prestige dramas. They wanted sunshine and sarcasm.
Bad Monkey Season 2 has the task of keeping that momentum without becoming a caricature of itself. The stakes are higher now. With a bigger budget and a move to California production, the show has to prove it hasn't lost its Florida grit.
💡 You might also like: Is Heroes and Villains Legit? What You Need to Know Before Buying
What to Expect Next
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, here is what you should be looking for over the next few months:
- The First Teaser: Don't expect a full trailer until late 2026. Apple usually holds those until about six weeks before the premiere.
- Cast Interviews: Keep an eye on Bill Lawrence’s social media. He loves dropping tiny nuggets of info about his "Doozer" productions.
- The Book: If you haven't read Razor Girl yet, do it. Even if the show deviates, the book gives you a perfect sense of the "vibe" they are aiming for.
We are looking at a likely premiere in late 2026. It’s a long wait, sure, but for more of Yancy’s rapid-fire dialogue and whatever mess John Malkovich is about to bring to the table, it’s probably going to be worth every second of the delay.
Start your re-watch of season one around October. By then, we should have a concrete date and maybe a glimpse of that infamous monkey back in action.