Fans of ‘The OA’ are outraged that Netflix cancelled the series after only two seasons and to add insult to injury we’ve just learned that the original plan had five in mind. The news came from Jason Isaacs who played Dr. Hunter Aloysius ‘Hap’ Percy on the series. He was asked about where the show was heading when making the rounds doing promotional work for Netflix’s ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ in which he portrays The Emperor.
Not only does he share that things were cut short three seasons early but that the next one was going to be even bigger in scope!
“Yeah, they mapped out all five seasons, when they pitched it, originally. They wrote the whole first season on spec, and it took two years to write it. I think that’s why the show had such a clearly unique voice. It was Zal [Batmanglij] and Brit [Marling], with nobody’s interference. You know that old saying, ‘A camel is a horse made by a committee.’ It’s so much their voice. It resonated so much with their humanity, their authenticity, their beauty, and their desire for human connection. That’s why it’s touched so many people, so profoundly. That’s why there’s such a big movement now. There have been flash mobs outside of Netflix’s headquarters. The Save The OA people have taken a billboard in Times Square. I wouldn’t want their job. I don’t know what they base their decisions on. I respect them, and I admire them for commissioning it, in the first place, and I’m so grateful that we got to make two seasons.
But yeah, I knew exactly where the third season was going to go, and it’s utterly brilliant. When they told me the end of Season 2, I went, ‘Wait, guys, are you actually sure? That sounds nuts to me. What can you possibly do afterwards?’ So, they sat me down and told me, and 15 minutes later, my jaw was hanging open. I just couldn’t wait to get started making it. And now, it looks like we won’t be making it. I’m sad, not just for the fans, but for me, because I was at the front of the line. I’m such a huge fan of the show. I’m dying to see the rest of the seasons because I know they happened in their heads, and I so enjoyed and was moved by the first two.”
Isaacs wouldn’t go on to elaborate what was in store for the third season, and it sounds like he wasn’t aware what would happen in the fourth and fifth. While a revival is always possible, usually Netflix is where shows go for that to happen these days. Unless there is a surprise last-minute change to the cancellation the best we can likely hope for at this point would be for the series creators to release novels or comics to complete the story as a wrap-up movie has already been shot down by the streaming network. With another three seasons originally in mind, it doesn’t feel like a single film would have allowed them to even put a dent in the full tale they wanted to tell.
What do you think Isaacs was told we would see in the third season of ‘The OA’ that could top the second? Do you feel that these tales will ever be fleshed out in another medium? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Collider
