It might be time to start celebrating Manifest fans! “Deadline” is reporting that the beloved canceled series is VERY near to closing a deal for a new home at Netflix two months after NBC announced its cancellation.
Warner Bros. TV, the producing studio behind the series, is making great progress on some very complex negotiations with Netflix about bringing the show back for a fourth season. The negotiations are going so well that WBTV has started negotiations with the cast and has been making what they call “if come” offers to writers, including writers who had worked on the show previously and new ones, for season 4. Also, despite wanting to get back in the ring to grab the show after canceling it, NBCUniversal is no longer in the running. This is all Netflix and things appear to be moving along quite nicely.
TV shows can be saved by other networks and platforms. We’ve seen it before. What makes the resurrection of Manifest so unique is that it really seemed like they exhausted all of their options. Warner Bros. TV concluded its campaign to find the show a new home after NBC canceled it and Netflix, despite the fact that season one and season two were topping the streaming charts, initially passed on picking up the show too. From there, options on the cast ran out and it seemed all hope was lost. Working in the show’s favor is that it continued to do well on Netflix even when it became widespread news Netflix wasn’t grabbing the series for a fourth season. The continued interest in the show through the #SaveManifest campaign made NBC and Netflix look back on making this work and now Netflix is putting pieces in play for a return.
Another promising sign, when the cast’s options expired back in June, the studio did not negotiate an extension during its original round of negotiations with Netflix that went south. During this new round of negotiations, they have reached out to the talent to make new deals so that’s how you know this is serious.
Manifest focuses on Montego Air Flight 828, which landed safely after a turbulent but routine flight. The crew and passengers are relieved to be safe but in the span of those few hours, the world had aged five years and their friends, families, and colleagues, after mourning their loss, had given up hope and moved on. Now, faced with the impossible, they’re all given a second chance. But as their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds, and some of the returned passengers soon realize they might be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible. The series stars Josh Dallas, Jack Messina, Athena Karkanis, Melissa Roxburgh, JR Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Parveen Kaur, and Matt Long.
What are YOUR thoughts on Manifest nearing a return at Netflix?