According to Deadline, the second season of Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down has been cancelled. In a heartfelt post to his Facebook page, Baz thanked fans for their support while explaining it was “unlikely” the show would return in the “immediate future”.
The hip-hop drama – set in the Bronx in the late 1970s – cost $120 million to produce. The first half of the season premiered in 2016, with the second half dropping on Netflix in April this year. Baz indicated that his inability to fully commit to the second season could be the reason behind Netflix’s decision to axe the show.
“When I was asked to come to the centre of The Get Down to help realize it, I had to defer a film directing commitment for at least two years,” Baz explains. “This exclusivity has understandably become a sticking point for Netflix and Sony, who have been tremendous partners and supporters of the show. It kills me that I can’t split myself into two and make myself available to both productions.”
However, it’s not all bad news. Baz threw around plenty of hints that the series may return, albeit in a different form in the future.
“All sorts of things have been thrown around for the future,“ Baz wrote. “Even a stage show (can you imagine that? I can, concert version anyone? Next summer? Just saying.).”
Justice Smith and Herizen Guardiola in The Get Down.
He went on to praise the cast of the series.
“Apart from our stellar veteran actors,” he wrote. “I can’t tell you how privileged we all felt to have found such young, new talents, many of whom are now starring in motion pictures, creating music, and taking tremendous strides in their careers.”
While The Get Down may be on the backburner for now, we get the feeling it’s likely to be revived again one day.
