Netflix has cancelled its Baz Luhrmann-produced hip-hop and disco drama “The Get Down” after one season, Variety reports. The cancellation comes amid production troubles and low ratings. “The Get Down” part one drew 3.2 million viewers in its first 31 days, a fraction of the views the streaming service’s more popular original shows pulled in during the same time frame. Last year, reports detailed a chaotic production marred by frequent script rewrites and stalling. The series was also reportedly the most expensive production in Netflix history, costing over $120 million to make.
Luhrmann shared a statement about the show’s future in a Facebook post detailing why it was unlikely that the show would return. “The simple truth is, I make movies. And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life,” he wrote. “As for the real future of the show, the spirit of The Get Down, and the story it has begun to tell... it has its own life. One that lives on today and will continue to be told somewhere, somehow, because of you, the fans and the supporters.” Read the full statement below.
“The Get Down” followed a group of teenagers in the Bronx in the late ’70s. The show starred Shameik Moore, Justice Smith, Jaden Smith, Herizen Guardiola, and others. It was executive produced by Nas, and Grandmaster Flash served as the show’s associate producer. The official soundtrack featured contributions from the cast, Nas, Miguel, Christina Aguilera, Zayn, Michael Kiwanuka, Leon Bridges, Jaden Smith, Raury, Grandmaster Flash, Malay, Nile Rodgers, and more.
Read “Netflix’s ‘The Get Down’ Is the Rare (And Great) Music Drama That’s Actually About Music” on the Pitch.
