BRAND NEW HOME

JULIA ROBERTS ISN’T BACK FOR SEASON 2, BUT ‘HOMECOMING’ HAS RECRUITED JANELLE MONÁE, CHRIS COOPER AND JOAN CUSACK FOR AN EVEN BIGGER DOSE OF MYSTERY

- Derek Lawrence

How do you fill Julia Robert’ shoes? Well, according to Janelle Monáe, you don’t. “There’s no replacing Queen Julia,” says the singer-actor, who stars in Season 2 of Homecoming (on Amazon Prime Video from Fri., May 22). Monáe admits to feeling nervous taking Roberts’ place as lead after the Golden Globe-nominated first season – that is, until a surprise set visit from executive producer … Julia Roberts. “After we finished shooting a scene I heard this loud scream, and come to find out it was her,” recalls Monáe, 34. “For her to respond with excitement, and to meet and hug each other, that was enough to relax me.”

Hong Chau’s Audrey has gone from minor character to power player.

For those already familiar with the show, it’s anything but relaxing. Based on the hit podcast of the same name, Season 1 of the stylish thriller was set at a transition facility for soldiers returning from war and tracked the relationship between Walter (Stephan James) and social worker Heidi (Roberts). Despite the tight grip (and brain-altering drugs) of the centre’s Homecoming Initiative and parent company Geist Group, the pair escaped.