Netflix Cancels Baz Luhrmann's 'The Get Down' After One Season
May 25, 2017, 10:35 a.m.
Luhrmann is going back to focus on movies.
The Get Down. (Netflix)
The Get Down's first season came to Netflix in two parts, with six episodes dropping in 2016, and six more earlier this year. The musical drama—set in the Bronx during the tumultuous late 1970s—was promising, albeit overly ambitious with lengthy pre-production hours logged. That, in part, is because the man behind the camera was Baz Luhrmann, who does not work in a world of simplicity.
The show wasn't exactly a ratings powerhouse, and Deadline reports it "was among Netflix’s most expensive shows, with the 12-episode first season costing about $120 million." (Costs were reportedly rising to $16 million per episode!) They also noted it's rare for Netflix to cancel a show early on, but the math may have not been the only factor. Following the cancellation news dropping on Wednesday night, Luhrmann posted a lengthy message on Facebook, where he stated the next chapter of The Get Down was "unlikely to happen" since he would not be attached.
When I was asked to come to the center of The Get Down to help realize it, I had to defer a film directing commitment for at least two years. 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. I feel so deeply connected to all those who I have worked and collaborated with on this remarkable experience.
All sorts of things have been thrown around for the future... even a stage show (can you imagine that? I can, concert version anyone? Next summer? Just saying.) But the simple truth is, I make movies. And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life. Since The Get Down stopped, I have actually been spending the last few months preparing my new cinematic work...
As for the real future of the show, the spirit of The Get Down, and the story it has begun to tell... it has its own life. One that lives on today and will continue to be told somewhere, somehow, because of you, the fans and the supporters.
This was Luhrmann’s first television series; it's unclear at this time what film he's currently working on.
