Netflix announces 'Sense8' Christmas special; Season 2 premiere date

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Netflix says it plans to stream Sense8: A Christmas Special on Dec. 23.

The episode will kick off the sci-fi show's second season, but the rest of its 10 new episodes won't be available until May 5. The series follows strangers from around the world who are mysteriously connected.

"The journey continues as these eight singular hearts and minds weave in and out of each other's lives finding deeper connections, learning darker, more desperate secrets about one another and struggling to identify with more than just oneself," a synopsis for the holiday program said.

The subscription-streaming service also offered details about Season 2.

"Picking up where Season 1 left off, Capheus [played by Toby Onwumere,] Kala [played by Tina Desai,] Lito [played by Miguel Angel Silvestre,] Nomi [played by Jamie Clayton,] Riley [played by Tuppence Middleton,] Sun [played by Donna Bae,] Will [played by Brian J. Wright] and Wolfgang [played by Max Riemelt] come together both physically and mentally, plunged into the middle of each other's tragedies and triumphs," a press release explained. "On the run from Whispers [played by Terrence Mann,] and forced to question their very identity, it's a matter of survival as the Sensates must find a way to live with, understand and protect one another against all odds."

Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill and J. Michael Straczynski serve as executive producers on the series.