The stars of HBO's Lovecraft Country were so sure a season 2 renewal of the series was coming that their schedules were cleared for filming. The HBO show was based on Matt Ruff's novel, Lovecraft Country, and it offered social commentary on racism with the sci-fi elements any Lovecraft aficionado would expect. It followed Atticus Freeman as he set out on a journey across the United States in the 1950s, searching for his father with the help of his friend and uncle. While the show was a hit with critics, clinching an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO saw fit to cancel Lovecraft Country after only a single season.
Lovecraft Country was backed by executive producers J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele, and it was created by Misha Green, whose resume includes writing for Sons of Anarchy and creating the TV show Underground. The series starred Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett, Michael Kenneth Williams, Jamie Chung, and Aunjanue Ellis. Season one of Lovecraft Country left many unanswered questions when it ended in October 2020, and given that it was regarded as one of the best new shows of that year, a season 2 renewal felt like a sure thing for fans of the series and all those involved creatively.
Justin Kroll, a senior film reporter for Deadline, shared a tweet about the cancelation of Lovecraft Country where he says that the actors involved with the show, naming Smollett and Majors, were ready to return for season two, even going so far as to clear their schedules so that they would be free to film. He mentioned Majors' "Jon Snow style" return in what would have been a spoiler for season two, which shows that plans for the second season were far enough along that the actor knew his character would be coming back. With the actors ready to return and the success of the show, the cancelation came as quite a shock. Check out Kroll's tweet below:
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Green was working on story ideas for Lovecraft Country season two, which would have expanded beyond Ruff's book that the first season utilized as source material. Interestingly, the cancelation of the series seems to have been a mutual decision between the creative team and HBO, which begs the question - why didn't the actors know when Green and the writers seemingly did? While actors are often blindsided when their shows get canceled, it is odd for those actors to go as far as clearing their schedules for filming when the series didn't have an official renewal. It does show that the series was a hit and that more than just the fans of the show were expecting a second season.
Fans of the show may want to see the series revived elsewhere, but given that Green and her creative team mutually agreed to end the show with HBO, it seems like a definitive end to the series. While the actors may have cleared some time for the show, they each have projects lined up for their next endeavors. Majors is set to take on what is likely to be a major role in the MCU as Kang the Conqueror in the upcoming film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as well as landing a role opposite Michael B. Jordan in Creed III. Smollett can next be seen in Escape from Spiderhead alongside Chris Hemsworth, and Green is set to write and direct Tomb Raider 2 with Alicia Vikander. While the cancelation of Lovecraft Country is still fresh on the minds of audiences, there are plenty of opportunities to follow those involved as they move on to new projects.
Source: Justin Kroll