Followed by the huge success of the 2017 show Dark, Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese released another complex series, 1899, in November 2022. It was the first show under Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese’s multi-year deal with Netflix, which the duo signed after the release of Dark. Similar to the 2017 show, the makers planned a total of three seasons for the mystery period drama. However, Netflix canceled the show just after the release of its first season.
Baran bo Odar, the director of 1899, shared the news on his Instagram. The show follows ship Kerberos’ passengers and crew who are on a journey from Europe to New York. However, the Kerberos ship soon encounters another ship wandering the sea, the Prometheus, which triggers a series of mysterious events that are beyond their understanding.
Baran bo Odar Confirmed the Cancellation of Netflix’s 1899
Netflix will not be renewing the mystery horror 1899 for a second season. The show premiered on Netflix in November 2022. The creators of the show planned to continue the series for three seasons and conclude it in the final and third seasons.
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The director of the show, Baran bo Odar, shared that Netflix has decided not to renew the show for another season. He shared the news on his Instagram saying, “With a heavy heart we have to tell you that 1899 will not be renewed.”
He further mentioned that he wanted to finish off the series with “a second and third season” as he did with Dark. The director also addressed fans saying, “We know this will disappoint millions of fans out there. But we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you were a part of this wonderful adventure.”
Baran bo Odar concluded that statement by saying, “We love you. Never forget.” Earlier, Baran bo Odar shared that the series would get renewed if it’s able to garner a good viewership. It scored 79.27 million hours of viewership within the first four days of its release. The viewership grew in the following week to 87.89 million viewing hours.
However, the viewership went down to 44.62 million viewing hours in its third week. While multiple reasons are being given for the cancellation of the show, many believe that Netflix canceled it due to its similarities with a Brazilian comic book.
Why Did Netflix Cancel 1899?
Neither the streaming giant nor the director has given any specific reason for the cancellation of 1899. And this has led people to assume why Netflix really canceled the show. Many believe that its production cost was too much. 1899 reportedly became the most expensive German television show with an estimated budget of 50 million euros.
Considering its huge budget, the show required an exceptionally impressive performance. However, followed by the release of the Wednesday on Netflix, it seemed like a tough task for Baran bo Odar’s show.
While these could be some of the factors that led to the show’s cancellation, many believe that Netflix canceled the show due to being accused of stealing concepts from the Brazilian comic book, Black Silence.
The creator of the sci-fi comic book, Mary Cagnin, took to Twitter to share the similarities between 1899 and her comic book. She accused the show’s creators of stealing the concept and story details from her comic book without giving her credit.
The Brazilian visual artist claimed the shot of the pyramid in the desert and also pointed out similarities between the arcs of the characters in the show and her comic book. However, Baran Bo Odar denied the claims saying that he and Jantje Friese were not aware of Mary Cagnin and her work.
1899 is available to watch on Netflix.
Read More: 1899: Creators of Dark Reveal Stunningly Eerie First Teaser
Source: Instagram
