Warrior Cancelled, Max Will Share Past Seasons With Netflix
Warrior has fought its final fight.
TVLine has learned that the martial arts/crime drama based on the writings of martial arts legend Bruce Lee has been cancelled and will not be returning for a fourth season on Max.
Of some comfort to fans/prospective samplers: Netflix has picked up non-exclusive rights to Warrior‘s first three seasons, to hit the streamer possibly as soon as February, Deadline reports.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Warrior aired on Cinemax, ultimately marking that cabler’s final original series before it ceased its production of original programming. In April 2021, a third season was ordered, to stream on what was then known as HBO Max. “Warrior introduced viewers to a distinct world from the past, executed with dynamic action and relevant storytelling, with a brilliant cast led by Andrew Koji,” Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max, said at the time. “We can’t wait to see what [executive producers] Jonathan [Tropper], Justin [Lin] and Shannon [Lee] will bring to the next chapter of this series.”
Season 3 began production in late July 2022, and eventually streamed on Max this past June 29 through Aug. 17.
Warrior takes place during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 19th Century. In the long-awaited third season — and in the wake of the race riots that had upended Chinatown at the close of Season 2 — Mai Ling (played by Dianne Doan) used her government connections to consolidate power, while Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) and the Hop Wei had to find new ways to survive.
The Warrior cast also included Olivia Cheng (as Ah Toy), Jason Tobin (Young Jun), Kieran Bew (Bill O’Hara), Dean Jagger (Dan Leary), Tom Weston-Jones (Richard Lee), Hoon Lee (Wang Chao), Perry Yung (Father Jun), Langley Kirkwood (Walter Buckley), Miranda Raison (Nellie Davenport), Chen Tang (Hong), Chelsea Muirhead (Yan Mi), Mark Dacascos (Kong Pak) and Joe Taslim (Li Yong).
Are you surprised by Warrior‘s cancellation, or did Season 3 of the martial arts/crime drama leave you sufficiently satisfied?
Devastating news. I love this show, and was really looking forward to next season. They really couldn’t just give us one more season to wrap it up properly? Ugh
What a slap in the face to the fans that supported this show. Not even getting a proper ending? It may be time to cancel Max.
No, it is time for EVERYONE to understand the realities of the streaming model. Shows get more expensive the longer they are on tv (ie each season is more expensive than the previous, unless the cast size in decreased or production costs go down via fewer set pieces, etc). And on a streaming model, there is no way to raise revenue.
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Take Friends. Each year got more expensive to produce. But the net was able to raise advertising rates for the show because of popularity. Eventually, the producer, WB, was able to make the shows at a “loss” each year. NBC would only pay X amount per show, but the show couldn’t be produced for that. So WB absorbed the extra cost of the show, selling each ep at a loss. Because of syndication, which made money. What did WBTV care if they (hypothetically) spent 10 million on each ep, but only got 5 from NBC? WB made another 10 million for each ep in syndication. So, really WB spent 10 mill per ep and made 15 mil at the end of the day.
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Which is the sticky wicket on streaming. No ad sales. They exist on new subscribers, and later seasons barely move the needle. People who sign up for a month to watch the show don’t count. They need brand new subscribers. And there is no river of syndication money on the back end.
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Unless shows are awards bait (Handmaid’s Tale) or are cultural phenomenons (Stranger Things) or have merch on the backend (Baby Yoda/Grogu merch basically paid for all subsequent Star Wars Shows), then the show gets too expensive to produce. And that will happen in S3/4 of a show.
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So if you watch a show on those platforms, don’t get attached. And I say that to viewers and show runners. If your show isn’t a monster success based on the above criteria, then your show is gone before S5. Probably before S4. So write accordingly.
Except that they are now all adding, or have added, ad tiers. Based on this premise, every show should approach each season as a mini-series and end with enough closure to be satisfying if it doesn’t return. Which means fans of shows that leave them hanging should be angry at the showrunners/writers, not the streamers.
MYbe Netflix will save the day with proper finale at least please
Hopefully it does good enough on Netflix to get a fourth season (and maybe more).
No!!! Whyyy???? This was the best martial arts series out there. I was looking forward to the next season.
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In this instance I hope Netflix gives the fans the 4th season…give it a proper conclusion at the very least.
Whyyyyyyyyyyyy??? Seriously MAX? Why bring it back just to cancel it? I don’t get it? This show was AMAZING! So much more story to tell, so much more fighting to fight. UGH! This one hurts. I forkin’ love this show!
This was their best original series. Props to them for bringing it back after cancelation, but it deserved a real ending. It cannot be that expensive to produce.
When will WBD/Max learn there is no value in Syndication or Third party licensing for unresolved content unless said third party is licensing to make more.
When syndication and third-party licensing stop making Money. Value alone doesn’t pay debts and bills.
The value I was referring to was its monetary value so yes that would pay the debts and Bills.
However only on this initial Netflix deal. Netflix will pull it when nobody watches because it’s incomplete. No more money to be made after that hence no Value as IP. If it was completed or the deal was for Netflix to complete it then continued renewals of its licensing would follow and it could continue to find new audiences forever and always have value to WBD/Max. The same thing already happened to Westworld.
Outrageous!
I was so happy when Max brought back season 3…it is such an outstanding show..I hope Netflix or someone will bring back Season 4
Gutted,amazing series..we all want 4th 5th 6th season.
Warrior was an excellent show. I am disappointed in this cancellation. Makes once wonder why you should invest your time with the all the cancellations…
I am shocked, disgusted, mystified, and disappointed with the lack of disregard for us (the Fans.) Is there anything that we can do to challenge this decision?
You could try watching it repeatedly on Netflix on the slim chance it could pull off what Manifest did.
This show was so good. I wish it wasn’t cancelled
The finale of Season 3 felt like a wrap.
Well this is really terrible news. I’d love to see Amazon or AMC pick it up. I think they’d do it justice. Netflix might but I have a hard time trusting.
How tf did a highly rated and highly viewed show get cancelled but Velma which was panned by anyone with a pulse get another season?
Nooooo!
Hopefully Netflix will produce season 4.
I was expecting this, but was hoping I was wrong. What a great show! Glad we got that last season tho.
i am very disappointed, this was well written, directed and acted. Action packed this show will be missed just like Banshee.
I’m concerned that quality shows lime Warrior get cancel while others with less quality and a stoty line that’s deplorable keep on going forever. Warrior deserves at least 2 more seasons to roumd up their story line. It’s a pity that the viewing public must suffer because of the whim of some miopic TV executives. Hope Netflix does something a put ot. The show is very good.
This is such a bummer. Season 3 ended on a real cliffhanger, and I was looking forward to seeing the what happened next in this exciting series.
Another show to cross off the list
Guessing no point starting the series? No proper ending right???
Disgusting! Hope people are cancelling Max orderds now! One of the best martial arts serie which was written so good and even people who don`t care about fighting would have loved this. It`s crazy they throw such good serie away which would had lot more stories to tell. Bruce Lee`s real sister is behind this.
HBO Max is trash. They’d rather cancel it and license it to Netflix than make another season. Everyone better binge it again on Netflix so hopefully we can Young Justice Warrior.
I haven’t watched any of it yet, so count me in for watching it on Netflix. For one thing, there are no ads. I got Max with ads. For another, I prefer Netflix’s services as compared to any other as far as the aesthetic and how well the service works. I can just find things a heck of a lot easier on Netflix and it looks better.
How? Why? It just really interesting and season 3 was the best season yet! Let’s go Netflix!