Netflix has made one of its hardest decisions. It has been confirmed "The Get Down," one of the Original Series of the network, has been canceled after airing its first season. Baz Luhrmann, the series main director, and showrunner took to his Facebook page in a lengthy statement about the cancellation of the series. He addressed the news on Wednesday while trying to explain his side.
Netflix cancels shows that do not perform
Netflix is usually known for canceling shows which are not performing in terms of ratings. Over the years, the growing number of shows that have been canceled is increasing.
Some of the unfortunate series were the "Bloodline," "Marco Polo," and right now, "The Get Down" has been added to the list.
When launched in 2016, the series was facing lots of issues. To recall, it was been dogged with production issues from the beginning of the season. Further, "The Get Down" has been the most expensive show that the network has produced. It cost a total of $120 million for its streaming service during its first season.
Further, it is known that the scripts had been rewritten and production was halted many times. This made some writers jokingly refer to the show as "The Shut Down" series.
Luhrmann never intends to be a showrunner?
While confirming the news on Wednesday, Luhrmann has been very open about what he feels in the face of the series cancellation.
He posted a long statement on his Facebook page while trying to explain his side of what happened. The main director revealed that it was not his intention to be the showrunner of the series. He only aimed to become the creative director who would have to have given the best vision for the series. However, he was not able to find someone else to fill such important role.
Luhrmann was left with no choice but to become both the director and showrunner. Further, he also revealed that Netflix and Sony wanted him to commit to Season 2 full-time, which is something he could not do. This was a key reason for the decision. He went on to say, " the simple truth is, I make movies.”
Nevertheless, despite the cancellation of "The Get Down" on Netflix, Luhrman revealed that he is now currently working on a new film.
He wrote, "The thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life.”
"The Get Down" season 1 cost them $120 million to make. Apparently, the network will no longer risk such large amounts on future seasons if the show does not perform well on air. It seems that there is always going to be a limit for big-spending streaming giants as to how much amount money they are prepared to squander.
