The Peripheral Canceled By Amazon After It Was Renewed For Season 2
It’s been months since the major Hollywood studios began their war with the entertainment industry’s actors and writers, and now the battle wounds are beginning to show. Earlier this year, Amazon renewed its popular sci-fi mystery show, The Peripheral, for a second season, and now, just as swiftly as the announcement was given, the streaming platform is taking it away. According to Variety, because of the ongoing strikes, the platform will no longer move forward with a second season of the sci-fi hit, and the series will end with Season 1.
The Peripheral was a critical hit when it debuted on Amazon, but despite the acclaim, it’s another “one and done” sci-fi series due to the writers strike.
Based on the acclaimed novel by William Gibson and starring Chloe Grace Moretz, The Peripheral premiered on October 21, 2022, casting audiences into a futuristic version of the United States.
The show follows Moretz’s Flynne, who is trapped in a seemingly bleak existence until an unexpected twist of fate propels her into a much larger and mysterious narrative involving alternate realities. The Amazon series garnered attention for its engaging storyline and impressive ensemble cast, including Jack Reynor, Gary Carr, and Eli Goree.
The cancellation decision has its roots in the ongoing upheaval within the entertainment industry. The studios’ refusal to work with the writers’ and actors’ demands needed to end the strike has significantly disrupted production schedules, causing uncertainty and delays across various projects. Sources reveal that even if Amazon were to resume production soon, a second season of The Peripheral would likely not see the light of day until 2025 or beyond.
The Perhipheral’s sudden cancelation, after a second season was approved, is a side effect of the writers strike on Hollywood studios.
This abrupt cancellation also raises questions about the broader implications of the strikes on the entertainment landscape. The industry relies on a delicate balance of creative talents and logistical operations, and any disruption to this equilibrium can have far-reaching consequences stretching beyond the cancellation of Amazon’s The Peripheral.
The Peripheral was the first project to emerge from the lucrative overall deal between Amazon and Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan’s Kilter Films—the creators behind the wildly popular Westworld series—rumored to be worth a staggering $150 million.
The series was created by Scott B. Smith, who also became the showrunner and executive producer for the limited series. Vincenzo Natali, who is known for another sci-fi mystery, In The Tall Grass, directed and executive-produced the show.
The creative team behind The Peripheral is already working on another project for Amazon, adapting the hit video game series Fallout.
For fans of The Peripheral and Westworld, there is good news. While both shows might be canceled, Nolan and Joy are preparing another ambitious project for Amazon—a series based on the iconic video game franchise Fallout, though details remain elusive at this time. While it’s not another season of The Peripheral, it’s likely to be another adventurous sci-fi ride fans can look forward to.
While Amazon’s The Peripheral fans may want to hold out hope that the show will be revived or continued later on, the situation seems bleak for now. It is the unfortunate reality of the modern entertainment industry that it’s become normal for studios to cancel series, whether because of tax write-offs or strikes, and all the fans of the show can do is cut their losses and move on.
