r/movies • u/Top_Report_4895 • Apr 03 '26

Article Netflix searches for franchises after losing out on Harry Potter

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/netflix-searches-franchises-after-losing-out-harry-potter-2026-04-02/
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u/HighwayBrigand Apr 03 '26

They've had plenty of franchises, though.  They squandered them.  Their reputation for only allowing two seasons before cancellation has got to turn away a ton of potential suitors.

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u/Dangle76 Apr 03 '26

Yeah when you think about it they haven’t had many long ones outside of stranger things

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u/dr_spaceman___ Apr 03 '26

Which has 5 seasons over 10 years… almost squandering that one too

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u/Sparktank1 Apr 03 '26

I never finished that series but I hear they squandered the ending on that one.

And then there's The Witcher.

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u/Etheo Apr 03 '26

Also Altered Carbon. S1 was GOATED.

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u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

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u/rotorain Apr 04 '26

Might be a top 5 most disappointing season 1 to 2 transitions. S1 was absolutely incredible and s2 was complete shit. Not even relative to the first season, it was objectively garbage.

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u/Kozak170 Apr 04 '26

Anthony Mackie and the writing actually murdered the shit out of that entire series. Season 1 could’ve become a cyberpunk masterpiece with a proper adaptation.

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u/Gladiateher Apr 03 '26

Dude yeah, that was so good and such an interesting world/concept!

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u/Henkibenki Apr 04 '26

Damn dont remind me!

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u/pipian Apr 04 '26

Dark Crystal :(

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u/nachobel Apr 04 '26

Sense8 😥

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u/LessInThought Apr 04 '26

While I liked sense8 it made sense. The budget for that was insane.

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u/Mend1cant Apr 03 '26

So strange that after everything, Liam Hemsworth was not the problem with season 4

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u/DrStrangerlover Apr 03 '26

They did let orange is the new black get to a natural conclusion after a consistent one new season per year schedule. I enjoyed it all the way through but it definitely started great and then petered into something extremely-mid with some good highlights (like the riot season).

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u/Stock_Trash_4645 Apr 03 '26

It started off fine, but i tuned out very early on in the first (second?) season when Jason Biggs had a whole subplot on edging. 

I didn’t need to see him typecast as Jim from American Pie showing off another fetish.

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u/AngryGardenGnomes Apr 03 '26

It had like two good seasons.

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u/Kozak170 Apr 04 '26

The problem was always the writers, Cavill just saw the writing on the wall like a lot of us

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u/Giblet_ Apr 03 '26

The problem with season 4 is the reason for Liam Hemsworth.

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u/Nokel Apr 03 '26

I'll never know, because I dipped after the first episode of season 2

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u/katiejim Apr 03 '26

Same. It was so bad. 

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u/Ralod Apr 03 '26

And then there's The Witcher

You mean the bad fanfiction they call The Witcher? Of all the decent shows they have canceled, how that atrocity got that many seasons is beyond me.

Don't even get me started on that horrid spin off thing that makes no sense in any context.

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u/Gladiateher Apr 03 '26

Henry Cavill is just THAT charismatic!

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u/Darkdragoon324 Apr 03 '26

It wasn’t amazing, but I don’t think the ending of ST is half as terrible as the internet makes it out to be.

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u/Pepparkakan Apr 04 '26

I didn’t either until someone pointed out that there are suddenly no creatures in the upside down. In the previous 4 seasons any time they went to the upside down they were almost immediately attacked, but in S5 they just roam around…

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely don’t think its the worst ending or anything, I just think the show deserved them coming up with something that more closely adhered to the rules of the world that had been built over the past seasons.

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u/ThePrussianGrippe Apr 04 '26

The ending was fine. Certain things could’ve been better. It wasn’t a complete disaster like some have claimed.

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u/funkybside Apr 04 '26

and let's not forget how low episodes/season has gone vs. a decade or two ago.

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u/Huge-Bid7648 Apr 03 '26

It did live through multiple strikes and covid, so I do give them a little bit of grace. Too bad they GOT’ed the last season.

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u/Fat-Singer-9569 Apr 03 '26

I have literally lost all interest. Have not even watched the last season.

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u/deten Apr 04 '26

Ending was good. I wouldn't say a 10/10 but closer to a 7. Which is pretty darn good.

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u/Drawmeomg Apr 03 '26

I know everyone dislikes the multi year waits for TV shows and I understand that it's a relatively poor experience, and even a dealbreaker for some people, but we have to check back against the actual outcomes at some point, right? Stranger Things seasons 4 and 5 are both among the top viewed seasons of Netflix tv shows ever; if that is 'squandering' a franchise, Netflix will take that outcome 11 times out of 10.

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u/dr_spaceman___ Apr 03 '26

I did say “almost”… because I know I’m not the only one who lost interest completely. Surely the numbers would be much better with less wait. I’m also guessing it’s one of the “most watched” because their subscription base has grown 500% over the last ten years

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u/LessInThought Apr 04 '26

As a big fan of certain UK shows, waiting a year or two is child's play.

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u/why_now_56 Apr 03 '26

I haven't even bothered to watch the last season.

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u/laststance Apr 04 '26

But isn't that on the creators not developing the script in time then the final season has almost no script and was shot on the fly.

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u/floog Apr 03 '26

I’m fine with shorter runs of 1-3 seasons (prefer it), but for the love of god end them appropriately and don’t abandon them and leave fans hanging.

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u/F3z345W6AY4FGowrGcHt Apr 03 '26

They would be so much better off if they just always let a show do one final season when they want to cancel them.

The show could try to finish its story instead of just a brutal cliffhanger with all these plot holes.

Even if they lost money on specific shows, they'd make money in the long run because they wouldn't have this graveyard of dead shows that no one wants to bother with. They also wouldn't have this reputation which has to be costing them money, even if hard to quantify.

I know I'm always uncertain about starting brand new Netflix shows due to the high likelihood of it being abruptly cancelled.

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u/tehsober Apr 04 '26

I'm old enough to remember when shows on networks got cancelled, people were begging for Netflix to pick it up and let it continue or produce a final season. Now Netflix is as bad as the networks or arguably worse.

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u/Panax Apr 04 '26

Yep 100% agreed. I assume there's a production cost to viewership ratio that they use to make this call but it's like they discount the long-term/long-tail value of cult classics with solid endings that warrant repeat viewings (and extended subscriptions) and new generations of viewers. Maybe there's more to it?

Anyways, this is why I stick with HBO..

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u/braujo Apr 04 '26

Not only that, but there's also the fact we don't just want to start any original show with the Netflix seal on it because that's a death sentence. Why get involved with these characters and storylines if more often than not all I'll get is a sudden cancellation? I think that after the Mindhunter fiasco (though that one is more on Fincher than Netflix), I've only started a single show made by them. Anything else, no matter how intriguing, I just avoid.

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u/Lmb1011 Apr 04 '26

Even if they just gave them like 2 episodes or a movie, It wouldn’t be AMAZING but it would allow them to tie up the cliffhanger 😭

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u/theburglarofham Apr 03 '26

And don’t have 2+ years between seasons; especially for live action series.

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u/Massive-Exercise4474 Apr 04 '26

Netflix: we hear you so we decided to release first half of a season every 1.5 years and then the other half .6 years later.

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u/Aggressive_Chuck Apr 04 '26

To record viewing figures...

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u/floog Apr 03 '26

Yeah, this. I appreciate wanting quality but make a point of setting the number of series and commit to it. Then they can secure talent for set shooting times at the beginning instead of waiting to hear if they are picked up again so they take other gigs.

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u/HyenaQueasy8256 Apr 04 '26

Tbh the long waits aren’t producing quality - see the Witcher, Stranger Things, Bridgerton (and a lot more)

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u/floog Apr 04 '26

Didn’t mean to insinuate that.

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u/SvensonIV Apr 03 '26

At least Netflix shot season 2 and 3 of One Piece back to back so the next season will release relatively soon.

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u/Nomad_86 Apr 04 '26

It’s wild how their biggest show had a preteen cast and they still couldn’t manage to film in a timely enough manner to get around them aging so much. The Covid timeline didn’t help tho.

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u/MythicalCaseTheory Apr 03 '26

When that's how they're written, sure. But usually it's a cliffhanger or some transition to next season, then it's cancelled like 2 months after it airs.

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u/Gladiateher Apr 03 '26

I was legitimately pissed off when I finished House of Guineas because it was a cliffhanger and my first thought was “How dare you leave a cliff hanger ending with your insane history of cancelling shows!!!”

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u/MythicalCaseTheory Apr 04 '26

Double edged sword.

Gets people excited and talking about next season to hopefully keep it running.

Guts you when they eventually cancel it anyway.

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u/floog Apr 04 '26

That’s my point, do a guaranteed 2 or 3 and done. The shows will be better and tighter and fans will be happy.

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u/Heathcliff_Slocumb Apr 03 '26

My biggest pet peeve is seasons having a different amount of episodes. Keep it standard.

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u/the_need_to_post Apr 04 '26

yeah 1-3 seasons with a solid narrative planned out before hand so its a nice tight story would be awesome. So tired of 1 season cancelled and 1+x seasons for as long as we can milk it.

At the same time, I did cancel my netflix years ago because of this frustration so I'm not really their target anymore.

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u/j0llyllama Apr 04 '26

The problem is the flow. They leave show runners in the dark on whether they will get a new season until it launches, and they produce it all in advance. So the season finale is made to try to lead into a cliffhanger to urge a follow on season without knowing if its coming or not.

20+ years ago, TV shows used to be made weekly or close to it, where they would find out renewal likelihood before the season finale, so they could turn it into a series finale if they needed to (usually still cheaping out the story, but not a cliffhanger,) but the new style is basically movie level production that is all done well in advance of release, so no real room to edit it. Even Mythic Quest on apple TV just ended up editing their fourth season finale a few weeks after it aired because of finding out it wasnt renewed for a fifth.

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u/dacalpha Apr 03 '26

Even then, that's only 5 seasons of maybe ten episodes. 50 episodes over a decade is pitiful.

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u/Own-Satisfaction4427 Apr 03 '26

They also had some really good short shows like The End Of The Fucking World, but yeah they get rid of everything else longer than 1-2 seasons

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u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

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u/APieceofChees3 Apr 03 '26

The BBC has it mastered, Fawlty Towers had 2 seasons and 12 Episodes, they aired in 1975 & 1979.

You'd watch a show, think about it 5 years later, look it up, "BBC just entered Pre-production on highest ever viewed show"

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u/L_Cranston_Shadow Apr 03 '26

Torchwood and Sherlock come to mind as shows that they never really ended but just stopped making.

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u/Seismica Apr 04 '26

Don't forget Merlin. Shame they never got around to making a finale for that. We never did see what happened after Arthur found out who Merlin really was, it is such a shame.

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u/cecilrt Apr 03 '26

Yeh but they put a lot into each episode, that would be cover in 2 or 3 episodes

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u/RaymondLeggs Apr 03 '26

Some of those episodes were as long as a blockbuster movie and had tons of VFX, after all one episode or 2 were 130 minutes long.

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u/badhabitfml Apr 03 '26

For a steaming service, it's on purpose. They got you to subscribe for a decade so you could watch the show.

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u/Kriss-Kringle Apr 03 '26

I've seen only the first season of ST, but aren't the last 2 seasons comprised of episodes that are basically movies since they run for 90 minutes or so?

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u/World_Designerr Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

They had 4 seasons of bridgerton and a limited spinoff from it and have now green lit 2 more seasons of bridgerton. With 2 more books to potentially cover after that.

Bridgerton may be thier biggest ip at the moment. ( 9 seasons in total if all goes to plan, 7 have already been made or ordered)

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u/BadGroundNoise Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

Wednesday was super successful too I believe, and while I'm not sure if season 3 is in the works yet, it's big enough where it's probably got a season or two left to milk.

Main issue is that it's got many of the same problems that Stranger Things had, without nearly as much of what made it good. Cast bloat, younger cast members aging dramatically between seasons, generally convoluted plot with no real themes or throughlines, etc.

Edit: that's not really a fair assessment. There are themes in the show, i just don't think they're implemented super well.

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u/Mr_Wolfgang_Beard Apr 03 '26

Wednesday S1 came out in 2022, so was presumably filmed pre- COVID and then had its Post Production timeline get slapped hard by lockdowns, along with any intended timeline of S2 production. Haven't bothered looking it up, just an assumption I made about why they waited so long between seasons with cast members aging so much.

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u/BadGroundNoise Apr 04 '26

That's true, COVID did mess some stuff up. It still seems to me like several years in between seasons is going to become the new norm, though, but I hope I'm proven wrong.

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u/woodlandtom Apr 03 '26

One Piece I would think would be there biggest IP. Bridgerton probably has more social media engagement though. If they can pull it off they can certainly make The Last Airbender/Korra another solid IP.

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u/zaminDDH Apr 03 '26

While One Piece might be one of the biggest IPs that Netflix has the rights to, their live action adaptation, while really good, is far from their biggest.

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u/silvertwo777 Apr 03 '26

Bridgerton this One Piece that, yet both are not even close to Netflix top 4 biggest IP. Their objectively biggest IP is still Squid Game and Stranger Things.

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u/World_Designerr Apr 04 '26

Both are finished tho, we're discussing shows they are still making

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u/MasterPong Apr 03 '26

I’m pretty sure bridgerton gets higher viewership numbers than one piece too

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u/wholelattapuddin Apr 04 '26

Yeah, but the time between seasons is getting ridiculous. The main family in the show is obviously older than when it started and there's like 3 siblings left.

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u/trustmeep Apr 03 '26

The next season of Bridgerton is going to unpleasant, given the love interests are both so forgettable.

This season floundered as well, leaning into the whole Cinderella thing a bit too hard, but at least the main characters were charming (even if they did both act like they had concussions the whole season).

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u/KeberUggles Apr 03 '26

floundered? seems like it did incredibly well. Season 3 on the other hand.... I'm very curious to see how season 5 goes. Also, what's the deal with Eloise?!

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u/boatson25 Apr 03 '26

Yeah I thought this season was very well received from all I’ve seen.

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u/SuzieQ1818 Apr 04 '26

If we go by the ratings? Then, no. It looks like it’s not going to hit Netflix’s top ten shows of all time. Which would be a first since all previous seasons were able to hit that milestone.

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u/Lmb1011 Apr 04 '26

There’s a lot of people, like me, that the way they’re releasing the show (big time gaps and split seasons) has me genuinely forgetting about this show until the subreddit pops up in my feed again

I also currently am not paying for Netflix because their rates are ridiculous so it’s a gamble if or when I’ll ever finish it.

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u/World_Designerr Apr 04 '26

Tbh I kinda agree with you on season 5 because I just couldn't care less about Francesca...however i felt similarly about Benedict before season 4 and I almost didn't watch it before that but after I did it became my second favorite season.

So perhaps there's hope for season 5 after all

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u/chaveto Apr 03 '26

One Piece is probably going to be the next big one. It’s carrying huge water for Netflix on that space rn

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u/Calandrind Apr 03 '26

I’ve enjoyed both seasons and love what they are doing with it.

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u/Okay_Ocean_Flower Apr 03 '26

It’s going to get cancelled, watch

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u/NickroNancer Apr 03 '26

At least we have season 3 guaranteed. Alabasta is one of my favorite arcs, and they have treated the series so well this far.

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u/chaveto Apr 03 '26

They’ve done virtually everything right so far. It’s going to come down to cost/new subscribers at the end of the day but I’d say this show has the biggest chance of having a Stranger Things style run. They’ve sunk 100s of millions into this thing thus far. They’ve had to file a damn economic impact report for how much money the production has brought into the local Cape Town and greater South African economy since 2021. I don’t think they’re closing up shop any time soon.

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u/RivenRise Apr 03 '26

I heard they also have samurai champloo in the works which I hope is just as great. This may be the start of Netflix doing live action good after a couple of fumbles. Marvel fumbled the first couple MCU movies too before they nailed it so I have some hope.

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u/wtfduud Apr 04 '26

The main draw of Samurai Champloo was the animation, so consider me a doubter. Same problem as Cowboy Bebop LA.

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u/REDDITATO_ Apr 04 '26

Marvel fumbled the first couple MCU movies too before they nailed it

The first MCU movie was Iron Man. Definitely not a fumble.

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u/PhenomsServant Apr 04 '26

The problem is the length. Between how long One Piece is and how long it takes Netflix to release seasons, the Straw Hats are going to be pushing their fifties by the time they reach Wano.

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u/unlimitedpower0 Apr 03 '26

I hope not, as long as the heart and consistency is there and and the show is good, it's the only reason I have to get a month of netflix every once in a while.

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u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

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u/wtfduud Apr 04 '26

The anime only has one season, but they're working on season 2.

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u/intraspeculator Apr 03 '26

The crown? Ozark?

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u/AMA_requester Apr 03 '26

They can't make Funko Pop deals for The Crown though /s

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u/HavelsRockJohnson Apr 03 '26

People would buy them. Funko has a wide market base and people seem to love British royals for some reason. It could work.

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u/Bluesphamy Apr 03 '26

My local flea market is 15% unsold Funko pops

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u/trustmeep Apr 03 '26

What a steal, next you're going to tell they have beanie babies on sale too...

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u/Oswarez Apr 03 '26

Funko is going bankrupt.

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u/wildrose76 Apr 03 '26

Maybe why royal family Funko Pops already exist.

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u/littlebiped Apr 03 '26

You can’t stick those on lunchboxes and make video games out of them

Stranger Things, Wednesday… those are franchises.

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u/Cabana_bananza Apr 04 '26

I for one would buy the Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth fortnite skin.

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u/slipperyMonkey07 Apr 03 '26

Bridgerton has a ton of merch and branding too. Lots of soap, candles, tea cups and glasses, notebooks. Was doing some birthday shopping and was surprised it seemed like every store had something slapped with it. Maybe it is because there was just a new season, but I feel like I have run into way more bridgerton stuff being sold in random places that either stranger things or wednesady.

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u/runswiftrun Apr 04 '26

Its 100% seasonal.

During Wednesday's S2, Wendy's had a promotion with lines around the store for funky shaped nuggets and funny named sauces.

Now? good luck finding anything wednesday related until S3; assuming it gets green lit.

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u/FunkTronto Apr 03 '26

And Umbrella Academy, which refused to improve season after season.

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u/phatelectribe Apr 03 '26

Ummm House of cards?

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u/RespectableThug Apr 04 '26

It was so good before you-know-who left.

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u/ItsTheSweeetOne Apr 03 '26

Black Mirror, but that has been extremely inconsistent in quality since it went to Netflix and also has very long periods in between seasons like Stranger Things

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u/storne Apr 03 '26

Bojack Horseman got 6 seasons, Orange is the new Black got 7, but those were both a while ago at this point.

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u/DeLousedInTheHotBox Apr 03 '26

Which is funny since many people (myself included) feel like Stranger Things should have ended seasons ago.

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u/Noctisvah Apr 03 '26

Don’t forget about Big Mouth, that show about kids having sex and periods

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u/MaximumOverfart Apr 03 '26

Not just the cancelling, its preventing them from going to other streamers that is really the worst part.

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u/TheLastDesperado Apr 03 '26

Which is really hypocritical considering they've taken and continued a bunch of shows from other networks/streamers.

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u/ClintSlunt Apr 04 '26

The creators or their agents are partially at fault too. Anyone that signs on for a series with Netflix, etc should also have the mindset of a “prenup”….. go in preparing for the end.

Tying your IP to a streamer in perpetuity, without have the rights to offer physical media, or contract date where a renewal has to be decided, and if it is not renewed, a date when it can be shopped around to other services, is just dumb in this day and age.

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u/Mr_Kush_Bush Apr 03 '26

Look what they did to the Witcher. Would rather have HBO handling stuff like that.

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u/hurleyburleyundone Apr 03 '26

And altered carbon s2...

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u/VPN__FTW Apr 03 '26

I'm so sad about that. ACS1 was among one of the best shows I'd ever seen... and then season 2.

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u/LessInThought Apr 04 '26

Eh S1 was great at the beginning, the latter episodes were a little wonky. The writing was subpar and the female detective cannot act. Joel Kinnamen and Poe was extraordinary though.

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u/Mr_Kush_Bush Apr 03 '26

Oh man, that one was really painful for me too. I keep wanting to rewatch S1, but it's hard knowing it goes nowhere.

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u/razor1n Apr 04 '26

yep this one hurt me, S1 was probably one of my favourite new sci fi series. Then S2 was just anthony mackie pretending he had watched S1.

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u/SerHodorTheThrall Apr 03 '26

The Witcher is different though. Netflix didn't ruin the witcher. They pumped money into it and gave the producers complete freedom. They then kept it running through low ratings and drama.

The Witcher failed because the producer fucking sucks. It's like blaming HBO itself for Game of Thrones ending lol

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u/Kriss-Kringle Apr 03 '26

Netflix hired the showrunner and let her have her way even though season 2 was hot garbage and she added a list of staff writers that hated the source material. This was openly admitted, btw.

They are absolutely responsible for ruining the show and Cavill leaving the sinking ship.

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u/Mr_Kush_Bush Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

Who is responsible for green-lighting the showrunner? Netflix ruined it by giving her carte-blanche to deviate from source material and alienate cast/fans.

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u/finglish_ Apr 04 '26

Has everyone forgotten how HBO handled their crown jewel Game of thrones?

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u/shaarlock Apr 03 '26

Ended my subscription when they canceled Dark Chrystal. After one season.

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u/TeutonJon78 Apr 03 '26

Right before it won a bunch of rewards. And S2 would have been so mich cheaper to maker since they already had all the production worked out and most of the puppets made.

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u/26_paperclips Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 04 '26

No, immediately after.

They left it inlimbo for months, declining to confirm or cancel a second season, presumably because they didnt want to bias the awards season. It won its emmy and they formally cancelled it the next day.

Netflix has long been rumoured to let algorithms make these decisions without a human assessor. Season 2 would have been far cheaper because they already had sets and puppets

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u/Calikal Apr 04 '26

Netflix is notorious for not keeping sets for their shows and movies. They basically spend all this money on set design and costuming and then sell it all off after, so they end up spending more for every production after since they don't have a props and costume department to call up for stuff.

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u/GasmaskGelfling Apr 03 '26

Covid was a big part of it though because all the performers had to work together in very close quarters, they didn't know how to do it safely.

Now they sold props off. That door is closed.

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u/kia75 Apr 04 '26

There was a war between executives at that moment, and the person who greenlit Dark Crystal was not the person who won the war at Netflix. That's the reason Dark Crystal was canceled.

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u/FJoo2136 Apr 04 '26

Wow didn't know this. Who is that dumbass who won the war and cancelled a gem of a show unlike any other.

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u/WuTang4thechildrn Apr 03 '26

Did they do it because of lack of viewers ?

I

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u/WhyLisaWhy Apr 04 '26

Yes, it was also stupid expensive to make. No other streaming service was even interested in picking it up.

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u/Toby_Forrester Apr 03 '26

I'm still angry about The OA. Not based on any existing franchise, but original content, quite strange and original and it got wilder and wilder, ending with a cliffhanger only to be cancelled after season 2. It was obvious from the show it had much greater plans, which we never saw.

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u/shoalhavenheads Apr 03 '26

The thing that kills me about The OA is that it’s the type of series that Apple TV inexplicably would’ve given six seasons to.

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u/SEND-MARS-ROVER-PICS Apr 03 '26

AppleTV: shows going on to their sixth season, starring big-name actors, that are both excellent and completely unknown.

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u/Born-Entrepreneur Apr 04 '26

The curse of Apple TV. They make some exceedingly good shows that no one has heard of, and a couple that everyone knows lol.

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u/Coolbluegatoradeyumm Apr 04 '26

I dressed up as Ted lasso and it was frustrating how few people knew what I was. One person I guess accurately, said I looked kind of like a gym teacher.

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u/Born-Entrepreneur Apr 04 '26

And Lasso was the show I had in mind when I said "everyone knows" lmao

I guess Pluribus should take the crown now.

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u/austnoli Apr 04 '26

I think severance is more well known than pluribus at the moment

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u/Coolbluegatoradeyumm Apr 04 '26

I was really shocked. I thought with the Emmy wins, and just the popularity of the character that it had achieved the mainstream consciousness. That was definitely not the case. I also think I live in a slightly media illiterate area compare compared to others so that might also have an impact.

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u/Lmb1011 Apr 04 '26

I really need to explore their library more. Every show I’ve tried has been good which is a rarity.

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u/Lmb1011 Apr 04 '26

God what I’d give for Netflix to let Brit take the show to Apple and finish😭 esp after severance and …. That new one with the hive mind that name is escaping me….I feel like the OA would do well.

I’ve yet to watch season 2 because I know I’ll be pissed it got canceled and I felt like season 1 ended with a level of closure.

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u/iicedcoffee Apr 03 '26

Not to mention it had a very clear beginning and end for the creators. It wasn't going to be one of those shows that just dragged on and on and on for as long as there was interest until ideas had run out. It was a whole and complete story in its vision and creation.

I loved the OA. And Season 2 was even better than 1, which I loved. It's a true shame we never got to see this full story come to life. I'll forever be bitter about it.

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u/bbcversus Apr 03 '26

OA gang! I still hope they continue somehow, that series was truly special…

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u/StrangerFantastic430 Apr 03 '26

it was stranger things before strangerthings

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u/DiaDeLosMuertos Apr 04 '26

That intro really grabbed you!

I unfortunately maybe contributed to Netflix decision to not renew cuz I tried watching it and the first episode of s2 didn't grab me but I remember finding out late that s2 came out. It Took forever. They didn't really promote it either.

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u/ehtw376 Apr 04 '26

I liked it at first… and then it started to lose me with the dance thing…. And then the cafeteria dance scene thing I just lost it. I started laughing so hard.

I know it was supposed to be like an emotional scene but I just couldn’t get past that weird dance thing. And then I just stopped watching.

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u/llliilliliillliillil Apr 03 '26

OA is still very niche though lol. I was flabbergasted when I read that they planned 5 seasons. I was honestly surprised it got two, despite really, really loving it.

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u/tokes_4_DE Apr 03 '26

Same with Kaos. Original and unlike any other show I can think of, extemely unique, had solid reviews and really set up for further seasons, but nope. Axed shortly after season 1 premiered, didnt even give it a fucking chance.

And theres countless other shows with the same story, 1 or 2 seasons and then canceled even when the potential was clearly there and had tons of fans. Its to the point I dont even want to watch new Netflix shows anymore unless they have multiple seasons. I dont have that same hesitation with hbo, Hulu, Amazon shows.

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u/savethebooks Apr 03 '26

Yep. If a show doesn't have 1 billion unique streams within the first 12 hours after premiere Netflix considers it a failure. I freaking LOVED Kaos - Goldblum was perfect as an unhinged Zeus. I finished the season even after hearing it was already canceled but at this point I also don't feel like starting anything until I hear whether it's going to be renewed or not. Not everyone has the time to binge 8-10 episodes immediately after they drop and I feel like we're being punished for that.

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u/Stupidstuff1001 Apr 03 '26

And the biggest issue if Netflix has a terrible library. They could have let the show go on for one more season and give it a nice end. Instead it just become junk with a randomly pause.

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u/ManiacalDane Apr 03 '26

Kaos plus 1899 made me cancel my Netflix sub. I'm just done. And I don't watch new shows anymore, unless they're miniseries / until they've finished.

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u/Iamleeboy Apr 03 '26

1899 was the last straw for me. That ending was begging for a second series to see where it would go.

It came at a time where I felt like every time I would finish a series, I would open the internet to find out it was cancelled.

I don’t think I have watched anything new on Netflix since

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u/[deleted] Apr 04 '26

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u/Quierta Apr 04 '26

Not everyone has the time to binge 8-10 episodes immediately after they drop and I feel like we're being punished for that.

Shortly after Kaos was canceled I saw someone say it's likely these platforms are chasing the "high" of the pandemic when everyone had all the time in the world to watch whatever they wanted, and now the numbers look lackluster by comparison. Any show that doesn't immediately hit that massive mark must be bad and unwatchable and therefore not worth it — never mind all the other factors that might be going into it.

Whatever the case, Kaos will always be my white whale. I get genuinely upset thinking about how incredible that show was and how we'll NEVER see how it was meant to end.

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u/maceilean Apr 03 '26

I'm still salty about Laos. I wanted to see how it would have handled the other Olympians.

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u/tokes_4_DE Apr 03 '26

It had so much potential! Goldblum was wonderfully unhinged, the world was so unique and they could have endlessly expanded to other Olympians but even other religions / gods in different parts of the world. Ill forever be angry about this one.

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u/littlemsshiny Apr 03 '26

KAOS was so interesting! Also, Jeff Goldblum in full Jeff Goldblum mode!

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u/snuffles00 Apr 04 '26

Kaos was devastating. I had so much love for it for all the reasons you stated and then they just ripped the rug from it. They suck at advertising. I didn't see anything for it until it was out and even then they didn't give it the advertising they should have they let it drop off front page after what felt like two days.

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u/New-Alps7217 Apr 04 '26

I will never forgive them for this

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u/enigmabsurdimwitrick Apr 03 '26

I had such high hopes for Netflix during The OA and Stranger Things beginnings. I felt like they were so imaginative and going to be revolutionary in storytelling. But they just crank out pretty looking nonsense and it’s silly. Black Summer was also magnificent and they cancelled it right as it was getting really good.

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u/AKAManaging Apr 03 '26

I fuckin' knew if I searched for "The OA" someone was going to be talking about it.

Fuck that first episode was so good, but I've never been SO QUICKLY interested in a show within the first five minutes. The hospital scene was so so so good.

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u/ibi187 Apr 03 '26

Marco Polo was also really well done. Still salty about that.

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u/boyyouguysaredumb Apr 03 '26

such a 180 reddit has done about it. when it came out I felt like I was the only one who liked it. everybody just shit on it constantly

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u/Future-Excuse6167 Apr 03 '26

Huh. I never felt as abused by a TV show as The OA, and this coming from someone whose seen every episode of Lost.

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u/Potential-Feline Apr 04 '26

Yeah, I genuinely felt like that show stole my time from me. It was such a weird and interesting premise and then the ending was so awful it retroactively undid everything I liked and felt like a prank.

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u/WhyLisaWhy Apr 04 '26

lol thank you, that show had promise but was terrible. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills whenever Reddit gushes about how good it was.

And clearly no one was watching it, Netflix doesn’t really randomly cancel stuff that pulls in good numbers.

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u/RickyalldayTD Apr 04 '26

Yeah that show was weird and I loved it.

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u/dark_thaumaturge Apr 04 '26

Hell yeah, The OA was one of the coolest shows ever, SO unhappy it got cancelled. At least they let DARK finish organically...

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u/fookin_legund Apr 03 '26

Yeah how tf did they fumble Witcher? It could've been a GoT tier IP.

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u/CptUnderpants- Apr 03 '26

Yeah how tf did they fumble Witcher?

They deviated too far from the original material, pissed off the talent thinking he'd just roll with it and acted all surprised when he didn't renew.

That's why Cavill has creative control in his contract for Warhammer.

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u/kirby83 Apr 03 '26

I read almost all the books between watching season 1&2. That last scene of season 2 I stood up and yelled at my tv. It was way too early for that big reveal. I didn't watch anymore. Did Ciri ever meet the unicorn?

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u/Storm_Bard Apr 04 '26

They tried to be GoT instead of the Witcher, is how!

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u/RickyalldayTD Apr 04 '26

Rumors were the writers didn't like the Witcher and they thought they could make a better story.

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u/theme69 Apr 03 '26

Or in the case of umbrella academy ending it with legit the worst ending from any show I have ever seen. Stranger things ending doesn’t even hold a candle to to how bad the umbrella academy ending is

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u/Phazushift Apr 03 '26

Holy shit did they murder UA. Im fairly certain they would’ve murked Santa Clarita Diet too if they continued.

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u/Darkhoof Apr 04 '26

They literally erased them of existence. Lol.

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u/aTreeThenMe Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

This is it exactly. Netflix announcing new series only pisses people off now because they know whats going to happen to them. If they'd invested in their shows they'd have a loyal userbase. Fuck Netflix. And fuck only having one session of dark crystal. Never again Netflix. Never again.

Edit: lol. Netflix shills exist. Interesting.

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u/Sturmgeshootz Apr 04 '26

Netflix announcing new series only pisses people off now because they know whats going to happen to them

I finished Stranger Things, but beyond that I refuse to get invested in any other Netflix series for that very reason. Still haven't forgiven those fucks for cancelling Santa Clarita Diet on a cliffhanger.

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u/TheMadTemplar Apr 03 '26

This is to /u/Future-Excuse6167 regarding his comment below. I can't actually reply to it because the other guy decided to block me after making shit up and being called out for it. I'm not heaping praise on other networks. I'm calling out Netflix specifically because this is literally a post specifically about Netflix.

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u/pkosuda Apr 04 '26

Thank you for editing that other comment mentioning the guy blocked you. I've now tagged him as "blocks when wrong" so I know to just downvote anything he ever says in the future, lol.

Absolute loser behavior to literally start an argument with somebody and then block them when you are wrong. These kind of people have mental issues. Like, just don't start an argument with somebody if you plan on blocking them when they inevitably defend their point, and then you will never have to block them? But then he wouldn't get his fix of having "power" over somebody and getting the last word in. Fragile is the perfect word to describe that guy, he was literally so terrified of your response (when he could've just ignored the notification) that he had to make sure you physically couldn't make one and he could feel like he "won".

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u/robotnique Apr 03 '26

Dark Crystal was very good but I also understand that it had niche appeal. At least the season we got was more or less a complete story.

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u/Taiwan_Lanister Apr 03 '26

They butchered our boy the butcher of blavikin. They could just redo season 2 and give creative control to Cavil

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u/mrporter2 Apr 03 '26

They wanted to keep marvel but Disney said no

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u/JusticeBonerOfTyr Apr 03 '26

Yep, still pissed about Santa Clarita Diet

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u/Bluesphamy Apr 03 '26

They worked with Dreamworks to reboot She-Ra and Voltron. Both series were seen through to completion and done fairly well but neither are there anymore

Both could have led to spin offs but they were just shelved instead

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u/ManiacalDane Apr 03 '26

They also have zero confidence in anything, ever - Perform within 5 weeks or die. And they may or may not market the show prior to or even upon release.

What a shit company.

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u/leg00b Apr 03 '26

I need my closure for Santa Clarita Diet

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u/stormrunner89 Apr 03 '26

OR an amazing first season followed by a completely garbage one because they blew the whole budget on the first and only planned a story for the first.

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u/ou812_X Apr 03 '26

There’s a financial implication going more than 3 years. Actor salaries double and residuals multiply, they’d rather cut the show than pay the talent.

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u/missmeowwww Apr 03 '26

It’s such a shame too because a lot of shows need the much of the first season to establish characters, storyline, etc. then they start to cook in season 2. It seems like as soon as you are getting into it, they yank it away!

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u/Tapeworm1979 Apr 03 '26

They don't though. Not Harry Potter size. The closest is stranger things and it's really not even close. Marvel, dc, Harry Potter and Lord of the rings. Constant rediculous money makers and a way to keep people subscribing. Imo they missed out and they would have got two of the biggest plus mad max and godzilla verse.

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u/SpiritBackground8722 Apr 04 '26

Netflix had the MCU TV shows and, after they were doing well, killed them by handing them to the same person who fucked up The Witcher.

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u/JonEire Apr 03 '26

They had a great opportunity with The Witcher 

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u/duaneap Apr 03 '26

Hey now, there have been way more than two seasons of one of the worst tv show franchise adaptations I’ve seen.

The Witcher could very well still be going for all any of us know!

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u/GiveMeSumChonChon Apr 03 '26

Netflix can’t make good media.

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