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.