Disney’s ABC Studios has started filming a second series of its major US TV epic fairy tale Galavant at Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios – further strengthening the city’s reputation as a prime centre for television production.
ABC Studios, the TV production arm of Disney-ABC Television group, chose The Bottle Yard Studios for production of Galavant’s pilot early last year. It went on to film the full series at the studios – the largest dedicated film and TV studio facility in the West of England – last Summer. 
The new 10-part series will film for 16 weeks in purpose-built sets in The Bottle Yard’s Tank House 3 space.
Writer/executive producer Kat Likkel said: “We are thrilled to be returning for a second season of Galavant, and we’re very excited to be shooting again at The Bottle Yard Studios. We look forward to many more musical adventures at the studios and in the beautiful countryside surrounding Bristol.”
The Bottle Yard Studios site director Fiona Francombe added: “It’s wonderful to welcome the Galavant team back to The Bottle Yard for series two. To have a high-profile US production featuring A-list talent choosing to locate their shoot with us once is a major milestone for the studios.
“To have them return for a second series the following year is a ringing endorsement for what we have to offer to overseas productions here – good international flight links, close proximity to London, access to a wide range of locations across the South West and Wales, a strong local crew base and a responsive service from our team of studio staff, all of whom are ex-production themselves and so fully understand the needs of a demanding shoot.”
The new series of Galavant re-unites screenwriter/executive producer Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love, Tangled, Cars) with Broadway and Hollywood award-winning musical team – composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast) and lyricist Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid, Tangled).
Cast for the new series includes Joshua Sasse as ‘Galavant’, Timothy Omundson as ‘King Richard’, Vinnie Jones as ‘Gareth’, Mallory Jansen as ‘Madalena’, Karen David as ‘Isabella’ and Luke Youngblood as ‘Sid’. Dan Fogelman, Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Chris Koch, Kat Likkel and John Hoberg are executive producers. Abbey C Studios Ltd produces Galavant for ABC Studios.
Galavant’s first series was made at The Bottle Yard Studios between August and October last year in purpose-built sets and on location around Bristol and Wales. It was broadcast on ABC America in January. In addition to main cast members returning for series two, series one featured guest stars Rutger Hauer, John Stamos, Hugh Bonneville, Ricky Gervais and Weird Al Yankovic.
The US series is the latest in a string of major titles to shoot at The Bottle Yard Studios. Other major titles filming or recently filmed at the studios include primetime BBC One dramas The Living and the Dead, Poldark and Sherlock and the Emmy-nominated BBC Two drama Wolf Hall.
New six-part supernatural BBC drama The Living and the Dead has also begun filming at the studios.
