After a seven-year wait, acclaimed filmmaker Gregg Araki has finally shared the story behind the abrupt cancellation of his critically acclaimed series, ‘Now Apocalypse.’
Araki, who co-created the show with Karley Sciortino, revealed in a recent interview that the team had not only written the second season but had also paid the cast to return for the next installment.
‘The second season is actually written,’ Araki assured Deadline. ‘We wrote the second season, the cast was paid for the second season, we were prepping the second season.’
The news comes as a shock to fans of the show, which premiered in 2019 and was praised for its unique blend of science fiction, drama, and social commentary.
Araki’s comments also highlight the challenges faced by creators in the television industry, where changes in leadership and network priorities can often spell disaster for a show’s future.
‘And it’s funny because in the second season of Now Apocalypse, the character Carly [played by Kelli Berglund], she gets paid to do a TV show, or develop a show, and so she has a development executive or something,’ Araki explained. ‘Her whole storyline is working on the show, and then in episode 9, her executive gets fired, and her show gets put in a turnaround, and that’s literally what happened to us. Literally, our executive got fired, and the whole network changed and the mandate changes—it was so prophetic.’
The first season of ‘Now Apocalypse’ consisted of 10 episodes, which aired from March to May 2019. The show was executive produced by Steven Soderbergh and Gregory Jacobs under Soderbergh’s deal at Starz.
Starz COO Jeff Hirsch praised the show as ‘a great experiment for us’ at the time of its cancellation.
Araki’s comments have sparked a renewed interest in ‘Now Apocalypse,’ with fans taking to social media to express their disappointment at the show’s abrupt cancellation.
Despite the setback, Araki remains optimistic about the future of the series, citing the show’s unique blend of genres and its thought-provoking themes.
As the television landscape continues to evolve, Araki’s experience serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by creators and the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.
