Ozark season 2 release date, spoilers: Jason Bateman teases 'escalation' and characters being killed off next season

Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde in Ozark(Netflix)

Ozark streamed last year on Netflix to critical acclaim and the crime drama about the Byrde family is set to return some time in the summer. 

At least that's what we think, based on the July 1, 2017 release date for Ozark season one.  Netflix hasn't actually confirmed the release date yet.

But whenever it does return, it's sure to offer more of the same tense drama that fans fell in love with in the first season as Marty, played by Jason Bateman, tries to pull off a money laundering scheme and ends up in a lot more trouble than he bargained for. 

Original season one cast members are returning for the second season.  In addition to Bateman, Laura Linney will be back as his wife Wendy and Skylar Gaertner as their onscreen son, Jonah Byrde. 

One new cast addition is Janet McTeer, from Me Before You, will play a Chicago-based attorney Helen who has "links to the cartel." 

Promo photos revealed in the Metro showed Helen escorting Marty from the FBI offices so it looks like they're on his tail.

According to emmy magazine, in season two Marty will be trying to build a casino to help with the money laundering.  

Despite all the risks, Bateman revealed that season two will see Marty scale up his money laundering scheme to even larger sums of money.  

"There is the escalation — there was $8 million this season the Byrdes had to figure out how to work with — and Marty's got $50 million now that he's gotta wash," Bateman told Variety magazine at the recent Emmy For Your Consideration event held at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.

And he added that it was tough to see some characters go.  

"You know what was hard was killing people," he confessed. "I mean, you know we decide who's dying before the season starts and then you cast these people and then you fall in love with these people."

He wouldn't reveal who exactly is being killed off except to say that one death next season was so hard on the cast and crew that they held a wake. 

"It was full chairs, like a full wake, and [Laura Linney] marched Chris down the aisle-way dressed as the Grim Reaper and gave the eulogy," he said

And in a separate interview with Rotten Tomatoes, he revealed that there would be some more developments in his relationship with his wife.  

"They have found a place of unification by the end of the first season, in so far as their ability to try to manage the criminal aspect of their partnership," he said. "As far as them getting things back on track romantically and domestically, I think that that will continue to grow but probably at a slower rate ... maybe there are new avenues of attraction as they build that business part of their relationship. Maybe it'll grow through a side door there.

"It's probably going to get a little worse before it gets better," he added.

Check out the teaser below: