Entertainment Everything We Know About 'The OA' Season 3

'The OA' | Nicola Goode/Netflix 'The OA' | Nicola Goode/Netflix

Brit Marling in 'The OA' Season 2 | Nicola Goode/Netflix

Is there going to be a Season 3 of The OA? The OA: Part III unfortunately will not see the light of day because in August 2019, the streaming service announced the series was being canceled after just two seasons. In a statement, Netflix head of originals Cindy Holland said, "We are incredibly proud of the 16 mesmerizing chapters of The OA, and are grateful to Brit and Zal for sharing their audacious vision and for realizing it through their incredible artistry… We look forward to working with them again in the future, in this and perhaps many other dimensions." While an extremely devoted movement of on-site protests and hunger strikes broke out among The OA fandom following the cancelation, Variety reported in late August that there is absolutely no plan to continue the series, even by capping it off with a movie. The showrunners had apparently considered the idea, but ultimately decided the runtime of a movie just wouldn't allowed for a sufficient conclusion to what was supposed to be a five-season arc series. Without a movie in the works, it really is the end of The OA, as another network can't even pick it up if they tried since Netflix was the producer of the show. Brit Marling even said her farewells to the series in a lengthy Instagram post, commending her loyal fans for their work trying to save it, while largely noting the show is only going to live on "inside [of us]" going forward. So, it's probably time we should all officially say our goodbyes, too.

While Netflix does not release its viewership data, and the cancelation comes amid other recent decisions to cancel a number of other original series, notably Tuca and Bertie, it's an interesting choice, given that The OA was reportedly planned to tell its story over five seasons. Back in July 2018, well before Season 2 was released, Holland herself told IndieWire that the series originated as a multi-season venture which Netflix was on board with. She said, "The OA is fantastic ... I think from the very beginning, when Brit [Marling] and Zal [Batmanglij] pitched us a five-season arc, we were really excited, and Jason Isaacs who played the evil Dr. Hap echoed this plan in speaking to us more recently in March 2019. So, it looks like Netflix just wasn't as excited anymore, and decided to suspend those plans.

Emory Cohen as Homer in 'The OA' Season 2 | Nicola Goode/Netflix

What might Season 3 have been about? There are potentially infinite possibilities of what could happen to The OA, though, say, if another network were to save the series and pick it up -- which isn't totally unheard of in the streaming era. The conclusion of the series after just two chapters definitely came as a shock to the showrunners, who were looking forward to moving into production of Season 3, so we could see Marling and Batmanglij being on board with that plan. It does seem unlikely, given the show's experimental nature, but were it to happen, here's where Season 3 might go: Season 2 entered the multiverse, and boy, are we in it! As much guessing as devoted fans did regarding the direction of the second season, few could have predicted exactly where it went. So, that being said, it’s hard to say where it would go for a Season 3. Prairie would inevitably continue trying to put a stop to evil Dr. Hap, while also traveling with him and Homer, as she learned the three of them are a "cosmic family." Thus far, all three of the dimensions we've visited, including the meta-Brit-Marling-the-actress dimension, prove to be connected or alluded to in some capacity, so it's possible these will be the places of significance they frequently return to. Aside from that, we can assume it would be even more unfathomable than the previous installments, as Ben-Adir said to RadioTimes, "I know where it’s going in the next season, which is NUTS! Like, unimaginable! Genuinely! Like, not even in a way I’m trying to sell it -- It’s crazy! … You think it goes there, but then it goes [starts pointing frantically] there and there and then there!" We are ready to perform the movements so hopefully in this dimension we can actually go there!

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