I Am Not Okay With This Canceled at Netflix Due to COVID

Though it’s been largely business as usual for Netflix during the coronavirus crisis, the streaming giant may have just suffered its first COVID-related cancellations.

Deadline reports that Netflix has canceled teen superpower drama I Am Not Okay With This, cutting it short after one season. Additionally Netflix will not be moving forward with the previously announced The Society season 2. 

Netflix had not officially announced I Am Not Okay With This season 2 yet, but per Deadline the show had quietly picked up for a second season, with scripts having been written and production set to begin. The difficulties (and swelling budgets) associated with filming safely during a global pandemic caused Netflix to rethink the renewal. 

“We’ve made the difficult decision not to move forward with second seasons of The Society and I Am Not Okay With This,” Netflix said in a statement to Deadline. “We’re disappointed to have to make these decisions due to circumstances created by COVID, and we are grateful to these creators, including: Jonathan Entwistle, Christy Hall, Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Dan Cohen and Josh Barry at 21 Laps Entertainment for I Am Not Okay With This; Chris Keyser, Marc Webb and Pavlina Hatoupis for The Society; and all the writers, casts and crews who worked tirelessly to make these shows for our members around the world.”

I Am Not Okay With This was a coming-of-age comedy-drama based on a comic book of the same name by Charles Forsman. Sophia Lillis (It, It: Chapter Two) starred as Syd Novak, a 17-year-old girl who slowly comes to realize that she has telekinetic powers. 

The first, and now only, season of the show was uncommonly setup heavy – taking its time to explore Syd’s superpowered awakening while offloading much of its follow through to season 2. We speculated over here that a second season of the show might follow Syd’s new relationship with her mentor figure and her journey to learn about her powers as well as those of her father. 

Now sadly that is not to be, thanks to the pandemic. At least issues of the comic book remain available. What’s even more unfortunate is that this is likely not the last COVID-related cancellation that will come down the pike in the near future. Though Netflix has been able to maintain a sense of normalcy with a jam-packed and long thought-out schedule, production going forward will continue to pose unique organizational and health-related challenges. Stay tuned for news about future COVID delays and cancellations in the streaming world.