Stanley Tucci Returns for Season 2 to Explore Italy’s Diverse Regions

Stanley Tucci is returning to National Geographic for the second season of the Emmy-nominated series Tucci In Italy. The new season will continue the actor’s exploration of Italian culture, history, and culinary traditions, focusing on several regions that have been previously overlooked.

The upcoming season is scheduled to premiere on May 11, 2026, at 9/8c on National Geographic. Following the linear broadcast, all episodes of the new season will be available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu starting May 12, 2026.

Regional Focus and Culinary Exploration

Season 2 will see Tucci visiting five specific regions of Italy: Naples and Campania, Sicily, Le Marche, Sardinia, and Veneto. The series aims to examine how the country’s historic landmarks and traditions are reflected in its food.

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In the region of Naples and Campania, the series explores how hardship influenced local food culture. Specific focuses include the history of the region’s famous tomatoes, the rise of buffalo milk, and the revival of a wine grape that had been forgotten. Tucci also visits Procida, where he discovers a lemon-based pesto.

The narrative of the season emphasizes that Italian food serves as a reflection of memory and identity. Tucci describes the process of exploring how the past continues to shape the present through extraordinary meals and captivating stories.

In Italy, food is never just food. It’s memory, identity and, sometimes, a full-blown argument. This season, we explore how the past continues to shape the present, one region and one extraordinary meal at a time.

Stanley Tucci

The series also highlights the geographic and climatic contrasts of the country. In a recently released trailer, Tucci notes the difference between the warm, sunny seas and the sunny but colder mountain regions, stating that these contrasts are central to the experience.

Production and Distribution

The series is produced for National Geographic, with distribution handled through The Walt Disney Company, which is the parent company of National Geographic, Disney+, and Hulu.

The show’s approach distinguishes it from standard food travelogues by prioritizing the reasons why specific dishes matter and what they reveal about the people and places associated with them. The second season leans further into the rivalries and identity-driven debates that surround regional Italian cuisine.

Additional Projects for Stanley Tucci

Alongside the return of his travel series, Stanley Tucci is appearing in the highly anticipated sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2. The film is scheduled to premiere in theaters on May 1, 2026, shortly before the debut of the new season of Tucci In Italy.

Tucci, an Academy Award nominee and winner of both Emmy and Golden Globe awards, continues to balance his work in scripted cinema with his documentary and cultural explorations for National Geographic.