The Outsider: HBO passes on Season 2

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

If there's to be a second season of The Outsider it won't be happening at HBO. Word has reached the bullpen that MRC is bringing the Stephen King series to market after HBO passed on the opportunity to present a second season.

When looking to score a season renewal for the show, series writer/executive producer Richard Price and company had prepared copious materials to share with HBO, including a script and bible for a continuation of the story beyond King’s book. Should the show be picked up for a second season by another network, the storyline is said to revolve around Erivo’s Holly character, while also expanding King's existing universe. Price's story ideas have already been vetted by King, with the Master of Horror having given the continuation his seal of approval.

“We enjoyed our collaboration with Richard, Jason [Bateman], Andrew [Bernstein], and the MRC team, and we wish them well in continuing the world created by the brilliant Stephen King,” HBO said in a statement to Deadline.

While MRC plans to shop The Outsider to a variety of premium networks and streamers, it's worth noting that they have an existing relationship with Netflix, where MRC produced by House of Cards and Ozark.

For the moment, The Outsider stands as a ten-episode series that follows police detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn), as he sets out to investigate the mutilated body of 11-year-old Frankie Peterson found in the Georgia woods. The mysterious circumstances surrounding this horrifying crime leads Ralph, still grieving the recent death of his own son, to bring in unorthodox private investigator Holly Gibney (Cynthia Erivo), whose uncanny abilities he hopes will help explain the unexplainable.

The cast includes Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Ben Mendelsohn (READY PLAYER ONE, CAPTAIN MARVEL) as Ralph Anderson; Tony Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Cynthia Erivo (THE COLOR PURPLE, WIDOWS) as Holly Gibney; Bill Camp (Emmy-nominee for THE NIGHT OF) as Howie Salomon; Mare Winningham (TURNER & HOOCH, ST. ELMO'S FIRE) as Ralph’s wife Jeannie Anderson; Paddy Considine (HOT FUZZ, THE WORLD'S END) as Claude Bolton, manager of a local strip club; Julianne Nicholson (TOGO, BLACK MASS) as Glory Maitland; Yul Vázquez (AMERICAN GANGSTER, RUNAWAY BRIDE) as Georgia Bureau of Investigation detective Yunis Sablo; Jeremy Bobb (The Knick, Manhunt) as Alec Pelley, a private investigator hired by Howie; and Marc Menchaca (Ozark, GENERATION KILL) as detective Jack Hoskins; with Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jason Bateman (Ozark, Arrested Development) as Terry Maitland.

Are you hoping that The Outsider gets picked up for a second season by another network or streaming service? Do you have any predictions as to where the show ends up, assuming that it's renewed for another go? Sound off in the comments section below.