I'm Heartbroken That The Peripheral Season 2 Isn't Happening — Amazon Prime Video's Renewal & Cancelation Explained

When it premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2022, The Peripheral became a hit with critics and viewers alike over the course of its eight-episode run. Loosely based on the hugely popular 2014 science-fiction novel by author William Gibson, whose Neuromancer will be adapted by Apple TV+, The Peripheral stars Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass) as Flynne Fisher, a talented gamer who draws the attention of a company that invites her to test and experience their brand-new virtual reality project.

It was an exciting new science-fiction show, a genre that has thrived in the streaming era, and Amazon Prime Videowas willing to give The Peripheral a massive budget. The series ended up doing pretty great, and built a passionate fan base in the process, and The Peripheral's season 1 ending left a lot of threads open to be explored in season 2, something that seemed like a no-brainer following its success. Sadly, the streamer canceled the show before the sophomore installment could happen.

Amazon Prime Video Canceled The Peripheral Season 2 Because Of The SAG & WGA Strikes

A Second Season Was Initially Confirmed Before It Was Canceled

After The Peripheral launched to solid reviews and ended up being successful for Amazon Prime Video, the streaming giant announced that a second season of The Peripheral was going to happen just two months after the season 1 finale. In a terrible turn of fate, Amazon Prime Video reversed their decision and canceled The Peripheral six months after they initially renewed it, shocking fans and leaving the show on a cliffhanger that might never be resolved.

I Would Love For These Sci-Fi TV Shows To Make A Comeback

Sci-fi TV shows are some of the most imaginative on television, and these iconic series are too good not to make a comeback in the near future.

Posts4

While the cancelation of the series was a blindside to The Peripheral's prospects, Deadline stated that the reason the show ended up getting canceled was due to the extensive length of the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes at the time. With a possible 2024 release for season 2, it's a shame that The Peripheral got the axe. Sadly, with a large budget and delays in production, Amazon Prime Video felt like they had no choice but to pull the plug after all.

What The Peripheral Producers Have Said About Future Seasons

While there hasn't been much said by series creator Scott B. Smith, lead Chloë Grace Moretz, or any of the cast regarding The Peripheral getting cancelled, executive producer Lisa Joy did talk about wanting to do multiple seasons. She serves as the EP alongside Jonathan Nolan, who both worked on Westworld and Fallout. In a 2023 interview with Radio Times, prior to The Peripheral's cancelation, Joy said,

Despite the show's cancellation, there is still a possibility that The Peripheral could get picked up by another streaming service. The two that seem most likely are either Netflix, since they have a history of picking up shows canceled by other networks or streamers, or even Apple TV+, given they are adapting Neuromancer already. It's possible they are waiting to see how it does before diving into any more William Gibson adaptations. But with the show being so costly already, and with each passing year since it initially premiered, it might not be in the cards for The Peripheral season 2, which is a shame.