The good news is official, folks! The top-notch space operaThe Expansewill live to see another day on Amazon. The series is currently airing it’s third season on Syfy, where the series was cancelled earlier this month. Word of the Amazon deal broke just ten days after that cancellation, and less than a week later we have our confirmation.
Amazon CEOJeff Bezosmade the announcement at the National Space Society’s International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles Friday night, where he was an honoree. The news dropped about an hour after a panel dedicated toThe Expanseat the same event, which featured EP and showrunnerNaren Shankarand starsSteven Strait,Cas Anvar, andWes Chatham.
The Amazon boss made the big announcement during his Q&A, withThe Expanseteam in the audience. Anvar filmed the “I was talking to the cast half an hour ago, before the break for dinner started,” Bezos told the crowd (quotes via Deadline). “I was telling them that we are working hard at Amazon to saveThe Expansebut it wasn’t a done deal yet. During dinner, ten minutes ago, I just got word thatThe Expanseis saved."
Alcon Entertainment Co-Founders and Co-CEOsAndrew KosoveandBroderick Johnsonsaid in a press release:
“We couldn’t be more excited that The Expanse is going to continue on Amazon Prime! We are deeply grateful that Jeff Bezos, Jen Salke, and their team at Amazon have shown such faith in our show. We also want to thank Laura Lancaster, head of Alcon Television for her tireless efforts. We are fully aware that this wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the staggering outpouring of support from the most creative, hardest working sci-fi fans around the world. From reddit campaigns to airplanes, we say thank you. It worked!”
The ensemble series also starsShohreh Aghdashloo, Dominique Tipper,andFrankie Adams. Set 200 years in the future, across a colonized galaxy rife with political conflict,The Expanseslowly weaves an intergalactic conspiracy and a framework of complex narratives, delivering some of the richest (not to mention best-looking) sci-fi on the air.
Word has it that Bezos was keen on the material for a long time. Syfy held the first-run linear rights forThe Expansein the U.S., but Amazon held streaming rights for the first three seasons. Bezos is a big fan of the book series byJames S.A. Coreythat inspired the show and wanted the rights to the before they went to Syfy. Ultimately, Amazon lost out on that get, butThe Expansecame with a massive price tag for the NBC-Universal owned Syfy, and without the SVOD rights or international rights (which Netflix held) to help even the score.
“The Expansetransported us across the solar system for three brilliant seasons of television. Everyone at Syfy is a massive fan of the series, and this was an incredibly difficult decision,” Chris McCumber, president of entertainment networks at NBCU Cable Entertainment, said at of the cancellation. “We want to sincerely thankThe Expanse’s amazing cast, crew and all the dedicated creatives who helped bring James S.A. Corey’s story to life. And to the series’ loyal fans, we thank you most of all.”
No details yet on when we might see a new season pop up on Amazon, but fans can rest easy that they’re fav is coming back with an enthusiastic network behind it.
