The OA season 2 – Picture: Netflix
After an impressive second season, fans and critics have been blown away by The OA. After ending on another grand cliffhanger the demand for another season was huge. Netflix in August 2019, however, decided not to move ahead with the show and canceled it.
The OA is Netflix Original sci-fi drama created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. Marling herself stars in the lead role as Praire, while Batmanglij directs the series.
Fans had to wait over two years for the release of the second season and arrived with much fanfare. Staying fiercely loyal to the series, the cult following amassed by The OA has begun to bring in a wider audience thanks to the second season’s storytelling and mind-blowing moments.
Has The OA been renewed for Season 3?
The OA Official Renewal Status for Season 3: Canceled (Last Updated 08/05/2019)
The show has not been picked up for season 3. In a statement, Cindy Holland, who is the VP of Original Content, said the following:
“We are incredibly proud of the 16 mesmerizing chapters of The OA, and are grateful to Brit and Zal for sharing their audacious vision and for realizing it through their incredible artistry, we look forward to working with them again in the future, in this and perhaps many other dimensions.”
Later, after the cancelation got out, Brit Marling (the show’s creator and main star) shared her emotional response to the cancelation. It’s well worth reading through if you’re a show fan. We’ve embedded some of the raw text of that note below:
“Dear fans of The OA –
Some of you may know already or some of you may be learning from this letter that Netflix will not be continuing The OA.
Zal and I are deeply sad not to finish this story. The first time I heard the news I had a good cry. So did one of our executives at Netflix who has been with us since the early days when we were sketching out Hap’s basement on the floor of our production office in Queens. It’s been an intense journey for everyone who worked on and cared about this story.”
Does the story warrant a third season?
According to an interview with Indiewire, Cindy Holland, the Netflix Vice President of Original Series, confirmed that the story had a five-season arc. Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij had originally pitched the five-season plan to Netflix when the pair held talks with the streaming giant to produce The OA.
Jason Issacs (Hunter Aloysius / Dr. Percy) has already made a statement on the third season indicating that the story has already been written. Brit Marlin and Zalbatmanglij will likely now be in negotiations with Netflix for their third season of The OA.
Why was The OA canceled?
We didn’t get an official reason for The OA being canceled, but it’s likely due to the viewing figures. Sci-fi shows struggle to maintain viewership, and like most cancelations, Netflix couldn’t justify the cost vs how many people watched it.
It’s a cruel reason, but its a reoccurring story with shows from streamers.
Campaign to Save The OA
A campaign has since broken out on social media using familiar hashtags to anyone that has seen their favorite shows like Sense8 and Santa Clarita Diet axed.
You can get involved by using the hashtags #SaveTheOA and #RenewTheOA.
The prime candidate for who would renew The OA seems to be Amazon Prime who has given a home to other titles like The Expanse and has made a name for itself in the sci-fi world.
Would you like to see Netflix renew The OA for a third season? Let us know in the comments below!
Netflix Synopsis: "Seven years after vanishing from her home, a young woman returns with mysterious new abilities and recruits five strangers for a secret mission."
