‘The Deuce’ Season 2 Trailer: Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco Shake up the Porn Industry

One of the most exciting new television dramas of 2017, “The Deuce,” is returning for a second season, and the foundation laid in an excellent first season has opened up a whole new world for the series. Set in the crime-ridden Times Square of 1970s New York City, “The Deuce” charts the legalization of the porn industry and its dramatic effect on the sex industry and sex workers. Created by “The Wire” duo David Simon and George Pelecanos, the series draws on period research to present a gritty, no-holds-barred portrayal of this explosive time in history.

In the first glimpse of Season 2, we see our intrepid entrepreneurs advance five years. The time is now 1977, and Candy Darling’s (Maggie Gyllenhaal, also a producer on the show) burgeoning directorial career is in full swing, with a little help from James Franco’s Vincent — or is that Frankie? No matter, he’s still on the show.

Franco, who plays identical twin brothers and is an executive producer on the series, was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by six women earlier this year. The actor denied the allegations. In a statement to Variety, Simon said: “We have no complainant or complaint or any awareness of any incident of concern involving Mr. Franco. Nor has HBO been approached with any complaint. In our experience, he was entirely professional as an actor, director, and producer.”

Nevertheless, HBO seems resolute that, as one character says (quite optimistically) in the trailer: “Everything is changed. It’s not like how it was when we started. It’s like a free world.”

“The Deuce” returns to HBO on September 9. Check out the new trailer below.