Fans of HBO’s hit show “Lovecraft Country” won’t be seeing their favorite characters grace the screen with a second season. Despite being one of the most celebrated shows during the pandemic, HBO announced its decision to not move forward with the show that cast Black actors as monster slayers in a Jim Crow-era America.
“We are grateful for the dedication and artistry of the gifted cast and crew, and to Misha Green, who crafted this groundbreaking series,” said HBO in a statement to Deadline.
Lead by Johnathan Majors and actress Journee Smollett, and supporting roles from Courtney B. Vance and Michael K. Williams, the supernatural horror series grappled with the country’s racist roots. From traveling sundown towns, the killing of Emmett Till, and Black community’s being harassed by white cops, the show felt both relevant and like a period piece.
Fans believe the series’ ability to highlight America’s dark past was in part what lead to the show not being renewed for a second season.
While the first season used Matt Ruff’s novel “Lovecraft County” as a roadmap, the second season would allow showrunner and creator Green and her team of writers to chart their own story.
Green shared on social media, “Wish we cold have brought you #LovecraftCountry: Supremacy,” while revealing some of what season 2’s storyline would have involved. In a tweet, Green showed a map of the “Sovereign States of America” broken into segments: The West and northern Plains states would have been known as Tribal Nations of the West, parts of the Midwest were the Whitelands, the South was the New Negro Republic, and the Northeast would have been known as the Jefferson Commonwealth.
Fans immediately began speculating that labeling a portion of the country the Whitelands was the tipping point for HBO execs responsible for cancelling the show. But, before people could fully run with the idea, Green clarified the territory was not home to white people, but instead, “overrun by zombies.”
Months prior to a decision being made about season 2, Green said her vision was “a second season that carries on the spirit of Matt Ruff’s novel by continuing to reclaim the genre storytelling space that people of color have typically been left out.”
But, given the show’s through-the-roof viewership — more than 1.5 million tuned for the October season finale — Green’s supporters can’t help but feel she’s been slighted yet again. The first time being when her hit WGN America series “Underground,” also starring Journee Smollett and Aldis Hodge, was canceled after two seasons.
