Why Did Netflix Cancel Altered Carbon?

Not a day goes by when you don’t hear that Netflix canceled one of their original shows. The last one to get the ax was Altered Carbon, which the streaming giants canceled on August 26th, 2020.

Deadline announced that Netflix decided to cancel Altered Carbon way back in April of this year. And they did so because of their usually cost/benefit analysis. It wasn’t a cancelation because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which reflects poorly on the show and its viewing statistics. And as a big fan of season 1 of the show, I believe the end was inevitable for this show.

When Altered Carbon began in 2018, Netflix gave it a massive budget. So much so that the lead star from season 1 Joel Kinnaman even commented that it had a budget greater than the first three seasons of Game of Thrones! It had amazing CGI, a good plot, great acting, and a very fundamental and philosophical at its core. And to top it off, it had fairly decent characters as well. It was a dream for any cyber-punk fan. But, what went wrong for it that Netflix ended up canceling Altered Carbon?

Related: ‘Altered Carbon’ fans need to check out this Sci-Fi series on Netflix

Why did Netflix cancel Altered Carbon?

Even though the first season is really good, Altered Carbon was never able to amass a massive. That is unlike Sense 8, which developed a very passionate fanbase over the years. Fans were screaming down Netflix’s ears to bring the show back, which is why they released a final two-hour-long episode instead of a whole season. But, that was nowhere near the case for Altered Carbon. In fact, Netflix barely approved the show for a second season, that too with a more modest budget than the first season. That’s why the second season had compromised CGI, fewer episodes, weird sets, and a very uninteresting plot.

The budget and the effort that went into the first season of the show indicate that Netflix really wanted it to be their Game of Thrones. However, it never amassed a dedicated fan base to justify the expenses the streaming giant made on it. Moreover, the studios at Netflix now prefer to make hundreds upon hundreds of shows and movies each year. That means that each show has to compete to justify the expenses being made on it. That also put Altered Carbon at a disadvantage. Therefore, it’s no wonder that Netflix canceled Altered Carbon. It was coming. But, did you know that the show also had an anime-themed film? If you didn’t know, then check it out!