"Time for war."

WGN AMERICA ANNOUNCES PREMIERE DATE FOR SEASON TWO OF ITS SPELLBINDING ORIGINAL DRAMA "SALEM" AND DEBUTS FIRST-LOOK PHOTO

"Salem" Returns for Season Two on Sunday, April 5 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT

Recurring guest stars Lucy Lawless and Stuart Townsend Join Returning Cast

PHOTO CAPTION: (L-R) Stuart Townsend as Samuel Wainwright and Janet Montgomery as Mary Sibley in the first look from WGN America's SALEM Season 2, returning Sunday, April 5 at 10pm ET / 9pm CT. PHOTO CREDIT: WGN America

LOS ANGELES, January 28, 2015 - WGN America has set the premiere date for the highly anticipated second season of its hit supernatural thriller "Salem," which will make its return on Sunday, April 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/ 9:00 p.m. CT. The network also released the first-look photo from the new season of "Salem," currently in production in Shreveport, LA for its 13-episode sophomore run, featuring recurring guest stars Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess," "Spartacus") and Stuart Townsend ("Betrayal," "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman").

From creators and writers Brannon Braga ("Cosmos," "24") and Adam Simon ("The Haunting in Connecticut"), "Salem" season two opens at the dawn of the witch war set into motion at the end of season one, with its catalyst and Salem's deadliest witch, Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery, "Made in Jersey," "Human Target") at the center of the mayhem as she faces off against new and old adversaries vying for her throne. In the wake of the destruction caused by the Grand Rite, completed by Mary and inadvertently triggered by Isaac Walton (Iddo Goldberg, "Mob City") in the season one finale, the fates of Captain John Alden (Shane West, "Nikita, "ER"), Cotton Mather (Seth Gabel, "Arrow," "Fringe"), Tituba (Ashley Madekwe, "Revenge"), Anne Hale (Tamzin Merchant, "Jane Eyre"), Mercy Lewis (Elise Eberle, "The Astronaut Farmer") and Isaac hang in the balance.

New to the embattled 17th-century village for the second season of "Salem" are Lucy Lawless as Countess Marburg, one of the last descendants of a legendary line of ancient German witches; Stuart Townsend as Samuel Wainwright, a mysterious doctor looking to uncover the secrets of Salem as he keeps a few of his own; Joe Doyle ("Raw") as Baron Sebastian Marburg, the charming and cultured son of the Countess; and Oliver Bell ("The Saint") as Mary's long-lost son, who was revealed in the season one finale to have been secretly kept alive all along by her coven.

"Salem," called "perversely entertaining" by The New York Times and "a sexy good time" by The Hollywood Reporter, is a bold re-imagination of the infamous 17th century witch trials in colonial Massachusetts.

"Salem" is executive produced by Brannon Braga, Adam Simon, Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson and Prospect Park's Josh Barry and Jeff Kwatinez. Nick Copus directs and serves as co-executive producer. The series is produced by Fox 21.

Follow "Salem" on Twitter and YouTube @SalemWGNA. "Like" the series on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalemWGN.

Follow the "SALEM" Cast on Twitter:

· Janet Montgomery: @jayrmonty

· Shane West: @ShaneWest

· Seth Gabel:@sethgabel

· Ashley Madekwe: @smashleybell

· Tamzin Merchant: @tamzinmerchant

· Elise Eberle: @eliseeberle

· Iddo Goldberg: @IddoG

· Lucy Lawless: @reallucylawless

· Stuart Townsend: @stu_townsend

· Joe Doyle: @royal_doyle

Co-Creator:

· Brannon Braga: @BrannonBraga

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About WGN America and Tribune Studios

WGN America, the flagship entertainment network of Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO), is nationally distributed in 71 million homes via cable, satellite and telco, with entertainment programming including the original, scripted series "Salem," "Manhattan" and "Outsiders," along with first-run syndicated series, blockbuster movies and live sports. Through Tribune Studios, the creative development arm of Tribune Media, original content is produced for WGN America and Tribune local stations nationwide. Follow the network on Twitter @wgnamerica. For additional information, please visit www.wgnamerica.com.