HBO Max cancels Raised by Wolves after two seasons – but a third may still happen
There may be life in the old wolf yet
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HBO Max has called time on acclaimed sci-fi series Raised by Wolves after just two seasons.
The Ridley Scott-produced show, which follows two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious planet, was, for a time, the top performing original series on the streaming service.
HBO Maxhasn’t yet shared the reasoning behind Raised by Wolves’ cancelation, though a spokesperson for the service toldVarietythat it was “beyond grateful to the [show’s] stellar cast and crew […] for their beautiful artistry and unique ability to immerse fans into the world of Kepler-22b.”
Those involved in the series’ production have their own theories, mind you. Taking toTwitterlast week, actor Abubakar Salim – who plays Father in the show – said the move to cancel Raised by Wolves was “not surprising” given “the news of the mergers and what is happening at Warner” right now.
Salim is referring to the recent shake-up at HBO Max’s parent company, WarnerMedia, which was combined with Discovery Inc. to form a new conglomerate, Warner Bros. Discovery, in 2022. The merger has, despite its infancy, already spelled the end for CNN’s short-lived streaming service, CNN+, as well as a host of in-development scripted series at TNT and TBS.
In the same Twitter thread, the actor called on fans of the show to help find a new home for Raised by Wolves, claiming its showrunners “have a fully fleshed out and planned storyline” for season 3.
Call to action #RenewRaisedByWolves It’s not surprising, especially after the news of the mergers and what is happening at Warner, that a lot of shows are not having their stories finished.June 3, 2022
“There’s still a chance the story can continue and be finished at a new home,” Salim continued, citing Raised by Wolves’ “goliath" production team, “incredible reception from critics and reviewers” and “community base that is so strong internationally.”
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The actor also drew on the turn in fortunes of once-cancelled projects like The Expanse, Top Boy andZack Snyder’s Justice Leagueas recent examples of fan-led project renewals.
Analysis: where might Raised by Wolves end up?
Salim’s #RenewRaisedByWolves campaign is essentially an attempt to put the sci-fi series front and center of the streaming shop window – but would any HBO Max rivals realistically pick up the show for a third season?
Judging by the critical and commercial popularity of Raised by Wolves, there’s no doubt that other streaming services will be mulling over its future, though we don’t expect any of the three major HBO competitors – Netflix,Amazonand Disney – to step in and save the day.
Netflix has shown a willingness to pick up cancelled series in the past – it did so with Lucifer andYou,for instance – but the streamer’songoing subscriber crisis(and penchant forcancelling its own shows) suggests it isn’t in the market to repeat the trick in 2022.
Prime Video boasts a stellar crop of comparable sci-fi series, though most were commissioned by Amazon itself (suggesting a preference for home-grown franchises) and Raised by Wolves seems a little off-brand for the family-oriented Disney Plus.
The latter’s sub-service,Disney Plus Star, could, however, be a potential destination for the series, which would slot nicely alongside more mature sci-fi dramas like War of the Worlds.
We’ll update you with any news we hear on the matter in the coming months.
Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
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