Amazon cancels ‘The Peripheral’ season two amid Hollywood strikes

LOS ANGELES: Amazon Prime Video has cancelled the eagerly-awaited second season of the science-fiction The Peripheral.

According to media reports, the decision not to renew the show was influenced by the ongoing strikes in Hollywood involving writers and actors.

The reports indicated that the work stoppages as the underlying cause for halting the production of the popular The Peripheral season two. The streaming platform had initially announced the renewal in February, about two months following the conclusion of the first, and now only, season.

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This has marked the first instance of a series having its renewal canceled due to the strikes. Preproduction for the second season commenced in early May prior to writers went on a strike for better contracts from studios and streamers. However, in mid-July, the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA called for its own strike.

Based on a William Gibson novel and created by Scott B. Smith, The Peripheral unfolded in a near-future setting and starred acclaimed actress Chloë Grace Moretz as a woman who discovered a hidden connection to an alternate reality. Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan were the executive producers of the series, which originated from Warner Bros. TV, their former home, and Amazon Studios, after they signed an overall deal in 2019.

Meanwhile, the industry insiders earlier expressed surprise at the announcement of The Peripheral receiving a second season. The series was developed by former Amazon Studios head of genre programming Sharon Tal Yguado, a key figure in luring Joy and Nolan to Amazon. Tal Yguado exited earlier in the same year, and the show was officially ordered in late 2019.

As per the reports, with a budget exceeding $140 million for its eight-episode debut season, The Peripheral proved costly. The proposed renewal for season two was for a shorter run, as sources indicated that Amazon decided to pick up only six episodes due to lukewarm audience engagement.

However, an insider also revealed in April that Amazon hesitated to cancel the show due to the significant impact it could have on Joy and Nolan, as well as other upcoming projects in their pipeline. One of the projects included the anticipated adaptation of the video game Fallout, the next collaboration from Joy and Nolan, even though its scheduling remained undecided.

The highlight-anticipated series was helmed by showrunner Scott B. Smith and featured executive producers Joy, Nolan, director Vincenzo Natali, Athena Wickham, and Steven Hoban.