HBO Passes on ‘The Outsider’ Season 2, but the Series Is Looking for a New Home
Zack Sharf
HBO is not moving forward with a second season of its Stephen King series “The Outsider,” Deadline confirms. The news comes as a bit of a shock considering showrunner Richard Price had been actively developing a second season of the show with Stephen King’s blessing. “The Outsider” was a buzzy hit for HBO at the start of 2020, becoming a word-of-mouth favorite over 10 episodes. The finale earned 2.2 million viewers across all platforms, a 90 percent jump from its series premiere episode. The show starred Jason Bateman, Cynthia Erivo, and Ben Mendelsohn.
“We enjoyed our collaboration with Richard, Jason [Bateman], Andrew [Bernstein], and the MRC team, and we wish them well in continuing the world created by the brilliant Stephen King,” HBO said in a statement to Deadline.
With HBO canceling the show, production company MRC will now attempt to find “The Outsider” a new home for its second season. Deadline notes “the company has a longstanding relationship with Netflix, where MRC has produced hit series ‘House Of Cards’ and ‘Ozark.'” MRC Television President Elise Henderson said in a statement: “We thank HBO for a great partnership in the first season, and for helping to bring in a massive audience who fell in love with ‘The Outsider,’ we are looking forward to finding a new home for this remarkable series.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly last month, King said “The Outsider” Season 2 was moving forward as planned. “I know exactly where it’s going because I have seen some of the scripts,” the horror author said. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. I’ll just say that it’s really great and a real spooky paranormal element.”
The first season of “The Outsider” used up all of the events of King’s novel, so the second season would move into uncharted territory. According to Deadline, the second season “centered around Erivo’s Holly character and expanded King’s universe.” King is currently working with Apple on a miniseries adaptation of his book “Lisey’s Story.” Erivo and additional cast members have all expressed interest in returning for more “The Outsider,” but now it will depend on whether or not MCR can find a new home for the supernatural series.
