‘Maxton Hall’ Head Writer Ceylan Yildirim On Season 2 As Finale Drops

The second semester at Maxton Hall ended today with more teen drama getting in the way of the on-off romance between scrappy scholarship student Ruby (Harriet Herbig-Matten) and privileged posh boy James (Damian Hardung).

The final episode of YA drama Maxton Hall – The World Between Us Season 2 dropped this morning on Prime Video amid much fanfare. The Amazon streamer’s most-watched original series shot to the top of the global charts just days after it launched on November 7, and once data for the finale drops, we’ll bring you that update.

As the internet discusses the fallout of the latest dramatic developments at the elite Maxton Hall, we caught up with head writer and executive producer Ceylan Yildirim from the show’s German production house, UFA, to talk about the scripting, Mona Kasten’s book series source material and the huge noise that’s developed around the show, which remains unique as a German production set in an elite British school.

Spoiler warning here. The six-episode second season has followed how James and Ruby’s relationship disintegrates following their night of passion at the end of the first and the unexpected death of James’ mother. Though she’s desperate to win a place at Oxford University, Ruby wants to retreat to her former life away from the elitist school, while James attempts to make amends for betraying her early in the season, as his life spirals out of control.

While we’ve attempted to broadly stay clear of the finale plot beats, there are some pretty significant developments discussed, including a passionate speech James gives in episode three and its consequences, and how Ruby is unjustly suspended as this school term comes to a close.

Yildirim writes Maxton Hall alongside Juliana Lima Dehne and Marlene Melchior, and is exec producer along with UFA Fiction colleague Markus Brunnemann. Martin Schreier is the director, with Valentin Debler the producer, Isabel von Forster the production designer, Martin Schlecht the DoP and Gabriela Reumer the costume designer. Fremantle-owned UFA makes the show, which has support from the German Motion Picture Fund. A third season has been ordered.

Herbig-Matten and Hardung star alongside the likes of Sonja Weißer, who plays James’ twin sister Lydia; Fedja van Huêt (James’ misanthrope father Mortimer); Runa Greiner (Ruby’s sister Ember); Ben Felipe (Cyril); Justus Riesner (Alistair); Andrea Guo (Lin); Frederic Balonier (Kieran); and Eli Riccardi (Elaine).

Here’s the first part of our interview with Yildirim, and the second part will drop next week.

DEADLINE: In Season 2, we see James make an impassioned speech at the end episode three that shows him being truly vulnerable for perhaps the first time, while by the end of the season, Ruby’s life has been derailed, despite being blameless and the victim of other people’s indiscretions. How did you want Ruby and James’ characters to evolve?

Ceylan Yildirim: Both characters undergo significant development in season two, reflecting their growth as individuals and the complexity of their relationship. Ruby faces many emotional challenges and is confronted with the sometimes harsh reality of her relationship with James. She must learn to deal with her visibility in his world, to assert herself, and stand up for her beliefs.

The most noticeable change in James’ character arc becomes evident in his emotional speech in episode three. He understands that actions speak louder than words. Opening up about his true feelings in public — especially in front of his father — is a big step for him, and we see him begin to face his past and the consequences of his mistakes. His vulnerability in this scene reveals a side of him that his social circle did not know before. We see him working on himself to become a better person. He wants to become someone who is true to himself, who does not have to follow learned patterns or hide behind a dictated façade.

It was very important to me to be able to integrate such a sensitive personal development of a main character into our format, and I am very happy to have Julia Nisslein at Amazon by my side, who has been very supportive of this vision.

DEADLINE: Where is the power dynamic between James and Ruby as the season ends?

CY: By the end of the season, the dynamic between Ruby and James, torn between their backgrounds and influences, changes into a relationship based on mutual respect and understanding for each other’s circumstances. They begin to recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses and allow time and space for their respective development, which makes their love more complex and tangible for a young audience. 

DEADLINE: Season 1 closely followed the source material from Mona Kasten‘s first novel in the series. How closely did you follow the second book, ‘Save You’, in Season 2 and what were the key decisions made to tell the story?

CY: With its enemies-to-lovers trope, the first novel was very well suited for adaptation. Since the second novel focused much more on the grief and coping with the loss experiences of its main characters and their exceptional emotional situations – the death of the mother, the breach of trust, Ruby’s separation from James, which were described across chapters from the different perspectives of the ensemble – the cinematic adaptation proved to be a comparatively greater challenge, both in terms of tone and plot. The third novel is similar in tone to the first.

Of course, we stuck to the central plot lines of the book in order to remain faithful to the core of the source material. However, it was important to us to expand the narrative for the screen and not to reproduce exactly what can be read in the books. Recreating the emotional dimension of certain moments on a visual level is one of the most exciting processes.

We are aware that images combined with music can trigger a completely different emotional response. Reviewing the motivations and actions of the characters and, if necessary, redefining certain areas of the book is quite a challenge. By respecting the original storyline, while adding further layers to the narrative in consultation with Mona Kasten and our partners at Amazon, we hope to continue to delight both fans of the books and our global streaming audience in fresh and exciting ways in the third season.

DEADLINE: Damian Hardung has previously talked about the emotional toll of playing James. How do you feel Damian and Harriet have handled the challenges of their roles and the intense fame that has come with the show’s popularity, and what have Amazon and UFA done to support their journeys?

CY: That’s a question that the two of them are best placed to answer themselves. Of course, we did our best to check in with them and let them know that we, as the production team at UFA and Amazon, are always there for them and take their needs and concerns seriously. We also had coaches available during filming to help them cope with the pressure that naturally comes with a production like this. Dedicated contact persons were made available for every need, whether it was dealing with the public, the media, or their own emotions on set or beyond.