You read it here first that Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons have signed on the the new season of the FX’s Fargo TV series. Now it’s just been announced that Golden Globe nominated actor Patrick Wilson (Angels in America, The Conjuring), multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ted Danson, and multiple Emmy winner Jean Smart have signed on to star in the second installment of the amazing drama based on the Cohen Brothers classic movie, Fargo. Also on board are Nick Offerman, three-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett, and Kieran Culkin.

The all new “true crime” case of the Fargo TV series travels back to 1979 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Luverne, Minnesota, where a young State Police Officer “Lou Solverson” (Wilson), recently back from Vietnam, investigates a case involving a local crime gang and a major Mob syndicate.  Helping him piece things together is his father-in-law, “Sheriff Hank Larsson” (Danson). The investigation will lead them to a colorful cast of characters that includes “Karl Weathers” (Offerman), the town lawyer of Luverne, Minnesota.  A Korean War vet, Karl is a flowery drunk blessed with the gift of gab and the eloquence of a true con artist.  Garrett will play “Joe Bulo,” the front man for the northern expansion of a Kansas City crime syndicate.  The new face of corporate crime, Joe’s bringing a Walmart mentality to small town America.  His number two is “Mike Milligan” (Bokeem Woodbine).  Part enforcer, part detective, Mike is always smiling – but the joke is usually on you.  Bulo and his crew have their sights set on the Gerhardt crime family in Fargo, currently led by matriarch “Floyd Gerhardt” (Smart).  With her husband at death’s door, Floyd takes over the family business, frustrating her eldest son, “Dodd Gerhardt” (Jeffrey Donovan).  An impatient hothead with a cruel streak to match his ambitions, Dodd can’t wait for both his parents to die so he can take over and expand their business from kingdom to empire. “Bear Gerhardt” (Angus Sampson) is the middle son, an intimidatingly large man who, although inarticulate, is the most decent of his clan. “Rye Gerhardt” (Culkin), the youngest of the Gerhardt clan, views himself as a big shot, but in reality he’s just a small dog who barks big.

With a cast like that, as well as Emmy Award winning Executive Producers Noah Hawley (showrunner/writer), Joel & Ethan Coen, Warren Littlefield and John Cameron all returning for the second installment, how can this second season of the Fargo TV series miss? The first season garnered universal critical acclaim, received an astounding 18 Emmy nominations – the second highest total of any program on television this year – and won three awards, including Outstanding Miniseries; Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special (Colin Bucksey); and Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special (Rachel Tenner).

Production on Fargo will begin in Calgary on January 19 and the 10-episode anthology miniseries is slated to premiere next fall on FX. We’ll keep you updated as further info is released.