There might still be hope for Altered Carbon season 3, according to showrunner and writer Alison Schapker. Based on the novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan, the cyberpunk show first debuted on the streaming platform on February 2018, and was eventually canceled by Netflix after Altered Carbon season 2. Following the character of dead prisoner and war vet Takeshi Kovacs, who, after 250 years, returns to life in a new body and is offered freedom by helping a titan of industry solve his own (future) murder, the show explores themes of technology, human-machine interface, gender identity, cyberspace, paranoia, power, and corruption.
Schapker got her first big break working with J.J. Abrams as a staff writer on hit ABC show Alias, before moving on to work on a slew of successful TV shows, including Charmed, Lost, and sci-fi show Fringe. In July 2018, Schapker ed Altered Carbon as an executive producer and co-showrunner, eventually replacing Laeta Kalogridis as the primary showrunner for season 2. After the cancelation of the show, Schapker became an executive producer and writer for HBO's Westworld. In 2022, she expressed a desire to pursue Altered Carbon season 3.
Alison Schapker Isn't Giving Up On Season 3
In a recent interview with Inverse, Schapker addresses her time working on Altered Carbon, describing her "heartbreak" at the show being canceled. She stirs hope that Altered Carbon season 3 might happen after all by committing to never giving up the fight for its revival. Check out her full comment below:
I am not going to give up. I still harbor a dream that someday, somebody will come knocking and want to continue that story. Quellcrist Falconer was off to foment a revolution! We had a great season 3 written, and I’m sorry we were not able to bring it to people. Sometimes that happens.
Netflix has canceled plenty of shows as it scrambled to compete with the emerging competition from other streaming services, and the budget for Altered Carbon, which star Joel Kinnaman described as being "bigger than the first three seasons of Game of Thrones," keeps it among Netflix's most expensive productions. It is entirely possible that this played a part in the decision to end the show prematurely, but there are a lot of examples of canceled shows being resurrected again. Indeed, Schapker's comments suggest there may have been official discussions about the future of Altered Carbon already.
Altered Carbon Season 3 Is Still Not Happening
Whether Altered Carbon season 3 will ever happen remains unclear, but there is a good chance that if it does, it will not happen with Netflix. The streaming giant has been known to resurrect shows in the past, like Arrested Development, but the budget of Altered Carbon could prove to be a big stumbling block. That said, there's certainly no shortage of audience clamor for Altered Carbon season 3. How a revival might happen is anyone's guess right now, but Schapker's comments suggest it's something she would want to be involved with, and that would require room in her schedule.
Curiously, after the cancelation of Westworld before season 5 could push through, Schapker could potentially pursue her own plans for continuing the story of Altered Carbon instead. So, while the chances of an Altered Carbon revival might seem slim, fans of the show should not completely rule one out. As the Altered Carbon ending explained through the uneasy alliance between Quell, Takeshi, and Harlan, there's always something to hope for - even in this bleak version of the near future.
Source: Inverse