Veteran actress — and action star herself — Lucy Liu has been tabbed to direct the season 2 premiere of Marvel’s Luke Cage.
Marvel and Netflix made the announcement Tuesday that the Elementary star will helm the new season’s opening chapter. Liu had previously worked with Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodaki Coker on the police drama SouthLAnd.
The erstwhile O-Ren Ishii (from Kill Bill, Vol. 1 & 2) and Charlie’s Angel made her directorial debut with the 2011 independent drama Meena, regarding the sex trafficking trade in India. She’s directed a number of episodes of Elementary, the CBS series in which she plays Dr. Joan Watson to Johnny Lee Miller’s Sherlock Holmes. She also helmed an episode of the USA network series Graceland.
Here is the full press release from Marvel and Netflix:
Marvel Television and Netflix announced that multiple award-winning actress and director, Lucy Liu (“Elementary,” Graceland”) is directing the premiere episode of the second season of the Netflix original series “Marvel’s Luke Cage,” set to premiere in 2018. All 13-episodes of the first season of “Marvel’s Luke Cage” are now streaming on Netflix.
In addition to a slew of television and film credits, Liu made her directorial debut in 2011’s short film, Meena and also directed four episodes of the CBS series, “Elementary.”
“Lucy and I have been tight since our ‘SouthLAnd’ days and she’s a welcome addition to our Luke Cage family. She brings the same buoyant intensity, deft humor, and singular focus to her directing that she has always brought to her acting….not to mention the fact that the former ‘O’Ren Ishii’ certainly knows her way around an action sequence,” said series executive producer and showrunner, Cheo Hodari Coker. “Her enthusiasm is infectious.”
“What a thrill to collaborate with Marvel and Netflix, two industry titans, who paint our world with inspiring stories and beguiling characters,” remarked Lucy Liu. “It is such an honor to work with such a passionate and fearless team.”
“When you’re dealing with a bulletproof man, it helps if you have a bulletproof Director,” said executive producer Jeph Loeb. “Lucy brings a keen eye, a superb sense of story, and an obvious love of actors. She is rocking Luke Cage 2.”
After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) becomes a man trying to rebuild his life in modern day Harlem, New York City.
Marvel’s Luke Cage will debut its second season on Netflix in 2018.