American Crime season 2 cast and plot: John Ridley has 'specific roles' for Felicity Huffman and Timothy Hutton

After a fairly successful season 1, American Crime will return with season 2, but with an entirely new story.

According to ABC president Paul Lee, "We got the [Season 2] pitch from [creator] John Ridley a couple weeks ago."

"It's a total reset, but some of the... actors are going to come back and play different parts, and it promises to be just as groundbreaking as the first season," Lee said during ABC's 2015 Upfronts conference.

Season 1 showcased the home invasion, murder of Matt Skokie and an assault on his wife Gwen, wherein social injustice stirred tension in a California city after a shocking crime changed the lives of those involved.

Although the series did not quite bring in the audience, its show runners had hoped for, nonetheless it received accolades from critics.

Deadline reported that American Crime stars Felicity Huffman and Timothy Hutton are set to return for John Ridley's ABC anthology crime series' second instalment.

In season 1 Huffman and Hutton played Barb Hanlon and Russ Skokie, whose son had been murdered.

"It's a completely different scenario and a completely American Crime, even placed in a different part of America," Lee said of season 2, noting that Ridley has created "very specific new roles" for "some of these iconic actors from Season 1".

"Actors from Season 1 of 'American Crime' are going to come back and play different roles in the second season," Lee said.

"John has actually mapped out very specific roles for them, which is perfect because they're not playing the same characters at all. I think it's one of the most impressive set of actors on any show, so the idea that they're coming back and reprising different roles is great," he added.

Season 1 followed the aftermath of a murder in Modesto, California, with Huffman and Hutton playing the victim's parents. Like the first instalment, season 2 will be filmed in Austin Texas, with production likely to begin in July.

American Crime stars W Earl Brown, Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, Benito Martinez and Penelope Ann Miller.

The second season will premiere in 2016.