The original British version of Utopia, Gillian Flynn’s conspiracy theory thriller, had a two-season run. Amazon’s adaptation/remake isn’t getting the same luck.
After fairly poor reception all around, Amazon has announced that Utopia won’t be getting a second season. The news comes via the Hollywood Reporter, noting that this is the end of a journey for the series that began in 2014, with a pickup by HBO that didn’t work out. And a directorial gig for David Fincher, which also didn’t work out. This show has had a rough time.
The series, which starred John Cusack, Sasha Lane, Rainn Wilson, and others, definitely did not come out at the right time. As a science fiction story about a global conspiracy surrounding a horrible pandemic, it felt woefully on-the-nose in a way that probably was not very appealing to many viewers. The show was Gillian Flynn’s debut as a showrunner, after writing the series for the UK version.
As THR points out, Amazon has a lot of other sci-fi and fantasy irons in the fire, including a final season of The Expanse and its upcoming version of Lord of the Rings. Utopia, it seems, just doesn’t fit into that slate. There’s always the UK version.
For more, make sure you’re following us on our Instagram @io9dotcom.