Fan-Favorite Series Was Just Canceled Out Of Nowhere
Charlie Hunnam's Shantaram series was canceled by AppleTV+.
Cancelations seem to be commonplace for every streaming service out there, though the majority of them have been committed by Netflix. However, Shantaram has been canceled by AppleTV+ after one season, leaving fans and Charlie Hunnam on the outs with this fan-favorite series. Shantaram will premiere its final episode today, which will now serve as the series finale.
Shantaram being canceled at AppleTV+ is not that shocking, considering the scope of the show itself. The series is based on a novel of the same name that is a staggering 900 pages long and takes place in several countries across two continents. AppleTV+ wanted to capture the scope of the series in the best way possible, as Hunnam and the cast and crew shot in two different countries, but production was shut down because of pandemic concerns. The series was only able to shoot two episodes before being shut down in February 2020 and would not resume production until May 2021.
Shantaram was likely too expensive of an undertaking for AppleTV+, which is why the streamer decided to cut ties with the series. We would imagine that having to wait a few years for all 12 episodes to be shot and aired must have cost a ton of money for the streamer. Still, fans were loving the Charlie Hunnam expansive series, as it currently holds an 82% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Shantaram on AppleTV+ follows Lin Ford, as he escapes a maximum-security prison in Australia, only to change lives and become a doctor in 1980s Bombay, India. While there, he gets involved with a mafia boss, and Ford uses his skills of counterfeiting and gun running to then fight invading Russian troops in Afghanistan. He also falls in love with a woman named Karla and must choose between fighting for freedom or fighting for love.
Despite audiences being huge fans of Shantaram and the usual draw that AppleTV+ content typically gets, the numbers for the series were clearly not enough for it to be saved by the streamer. This does not mean that it cannot be picked up by another streaming company, but that would be up to AppleTV+ to let the rights go on the series. Hunnam might also lead his own campaign to keep the series going.
Shantaram might have landed at AppleTV+, but the story has been part of several failed adaptations, all led by Johnny Depp. Depp wanted to turn the story into a franchise, but never quite got it off the ground. Maybe there could be some sort of partnership with Charlie Hunnam and Johnny Depp to turn the series into a movie franchise in the future.
For now, fans of Shantaram can catch the series finale on AppleTV+ and hope that there are better days ahead for the series. Considering that many shows are often involved in social media campaigns, we would imagine that one might happen, especially because of how beloved Charlie Hunnam is. All 12 episodes of Shantaram are available on AppleTV+ right now.
