After initially being optioned as a miniseries by Media Rights Capital, talks of a second season for HBO’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Outsider were slowly underway following its critical success but now it’s been confirmed that HBO has elected to pass on renewing the horror mystery drama, according to Variety.
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The decision to pass on a second season of the series comes as a surprise given the series performed strongly in the ratings for the network, with the finale garnering 2.2 million viewers across all platforms, 1 million more than the premiere and marking the largest debut-finale boost for any first season HBO series, not to mention the critical acclaim and continued popularity of King adaptations. MRC is clearly aware of its popularity and King’s excitement for the scripts already written for the second season as they are shopping it around to other networks and streaming platforms.
“We enjoyed our collaboration with Richard, Jason, Andrew, and the MRC team, and we wish them well in continuing the world created by the brilliant Stephen King,” an HBO spokesperson in a statement.
The Outsider follows police detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn), as he sets out to investigate the mutilated body of 11-year-old Frankie Peterson found in the Georgia woods. The mysterious circumstances surrounding this horrifying crime leads Ralph, still grieving the recent death of his own son, to bring in unorthodox private investigator Holly Gibney (Cynthia Erivo), whose uncanny abilities he hopes will help explain the unexplainable.
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The series stars Jason Bateman, Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline) alongside Cynthia Erivo (Bad Times at the El Royale), Bill Camp (The Looming Tower), Mare Winningham (George Wallace), Paddy Considine (The Ferryman), Julianne Nicholson (Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders), Yul Vázquez (I Am the Night), Jeremy Bobb (The Knick) and Marc Menchaca (Ozark) as regulars with Hettienne Park (Hannibal), Michael Esper (Trust), Derek Cecil (House of Cards) and Max Beesley (Jamestown) set to appear in recurring roles.
Mendelsohn also serves as the show’s producer along with Ozark‘s Jason Bateman, who is executive producing. Andrew Bernstein (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) directed several episodes of the first season, and is also serving as an executive producer. Richard Price (The Night Of) pens the series with Bateman directing the first two episodes through his Aggregate Films banner.
The adaptation is produced by Media Rights Capital and Temple Hill Entertainment. Jack Bender (Mr. Mercedes), Price, Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen, and Aggregate’s Michael Costigan are all set as executive producers.
