'Wayward Pines' season 2 release date: what to expect after series renewal

Ethan and the residents will fight for their lives in the upcoming episode of "Wayward Pines."Facebook/Fox

After months of speculation on whether or not "Wayward Pines" will be picked up for another season, fans should have their minds at ease now that FOX has officially renewed M. Night Shyamalan's show for season 2.

The series will return sometime in the summer of 2016 for another ten episodes, according to David Madden, president for FOX Entertainment.

Executive producer Shyamalan will still be part of the project, but showrunner and series creator Chad Hodge will not be part of season 2's production, Variety reports. Mark Friedman takes over Hodge's place, according to WeGotThisCovered.

According to Variety, the renewal is considered as a bit of surprise since the show was introduced then as an "event series" or a show that's supposed to run for only one season. But "Wayward Pines" has been received so well and ratings were too high to ignore.

FOX states that the first season of "Wayward Pines" garnered the title of number one broadcast scripted series for summer 2015 among the 18–49 demo, with an average of 9.4 million viewers for its pilot season.

"Wayward Pines" was a huge hit for us this past summer. We were absolutely blown away by the mysterious and surprising world that Night and his team created, and the twisting-and-turning storytelling that drew viewers in from day one," Madden said in a statement.

Season 1 ended with main character Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) dead from sacrificing his own life to keep the town residents safe. It is expected that new faces will join the series.

Madden also confirmed that the story will pick up from where it left off, with the residents of the town struggling to "preserve the endangered human race" while a new character arrives and gets himself involved in the rebellion.

Madden also added that the story and the characters will be taken to "whole new levels." He also expressed that he couldn't wait for the viewers to experience another haunting story that "Wayward Pines" season 2 can offer.