Ozark star Jason Bateman addresses the possibility of a season 5 or a movie down the line. First airing on Netflix in 2017, Ozark quickly became one of the streamer's most critically-acclaimed series. The crime drama chronicles the story of money-launderer Marty Byrde (Bateman) and his family, who attempt to free themselves from their financial obligations to a dangerous Mexican drug cartel in the Ozarks. Netflix released the final batch of episodes for the show's super-sized season 4 on April 29th, finally concluding the Byrde family saga.
Much to the surprise of many viewers, the Ozark finale sees the entire Byrde family make it through alive, with Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) shooting private investigator Mel Sattem (Adam Rothenberg). Unfortunately, not all characters were so lucky, with fan-favorite character Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner) ultimately paying the price for killing Javi (Alfonso Herrera) earlier in the season. While the Ozark season 4 ending isn't what many audiences would call "happy," it does certainly leave the door open for additional stories in the Ozark universe.
In a new interview with Variety, Bateman touches on the possibility of an Ozark revival, either in the form of season 5 or even a movie, saying he's receptive to the idea. Bateman, who also served as executive producer on the show, explains that the work environment was very "positive" and that he loved the people he worked with, ultimately saying that he'd "do [Ozark] again in a second." Check out Bateman's full comment below:
"Any job or work environment that was positive, and where you loved the people you were working with and you loved the product you were creating, you’d love to return to it. It’s hard to maintain something that is really pleasurable all the time. And we had that with “Ozark.” So I’d do it again in a second, because what we had just doesn’t happen often."
Although the Ozark series finale ended with the Byrde family essentially free from their ties to the cartel, there's certainly room for more stories to unfold. Most of the major plot threads introduced in the show are resolved, but Jonah shooting Mel in Ozark's final moments sets up potential trouble for the Byrde family down the line. While there is certainly a chance for the lead characters' saga to continue, many of the show's supporting characters are now dead, meaning some fresh faces would need to be introduced to carry on the Ozark narrative.
While the potential for more Ozark may sound tantalizing to many fans, the show ultimately delivered four very strong seasons and ended on a positive note; a fate not many shows experience. Ozark season 5 or even an Ozark movie would provide the opportunity to further explore the Byrde family, but it could also potentially sully the reputation of the show if it doesn't live up to fan expectations. An Ozark spinoff has already been discussed at Netflix, but it remains to be seen what the future holds for the original show. If Bateman's comments are anything to go by, there's a chance that audiences haven't seen the last of the Byrdes.
Source: Variety