HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys has provided an explanation for Lovecraft Country's surprising cancellation after a single season.

“When you make the decision to not go forward with a show, it’s usually a confluence of factors,” Bloys told Variety. "And that was the case here. It has to be something we think makes sense for us. In this case, we couldn’t get there..."

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Season 1 of Lovecraft Country adapted Matt Ruff's 2016 novel of the same name and centered on Atticus Freeman, a pulp fiction-loving Korean War veteran who journeys with his friend Letitia and uncle George to find his missing father Montrose in the 1950s, bringing them face to face with the terrors of not only American white supremacy but an occult society seeking to tap into deadly cosmological forces. Misha Green developed the show, which premiered on Aug. 16, 2020, running for ten episodes.

While Season 1 covered the entirety of Ruff's source material, Green had crafted a 75-page story Bible for Lovecraft Country Season 2, titled Lovecraft Country: Supremacy. However, in spite of Season 1's strong ratings and viewership, HBO formally declined to continue the show back in July. “I don’t think it would be fair to point at any one particular thing," continued Bloys. "I think that the work Misha did, and the recognition that it got, this doesn’t change any of that.”

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Reviews for Lovecraft Country were generally positive at the start but grew increasingly mixed as Season 1 continued. This culminated in the Season 1 finale earning a 68% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics consensus describing it as "a haphazard conclusion that suffers from the series' messy through-line, but at least brings closure to the characters and a healthy dose of spectacle." Lovecraft Country also drew criticism for its handling of LGBTQ+ subject matter and the way it incorporated real-life historical atrocities into its storyline.

The show was not without its behind-the-scenes controversies either. Most notably, Kelli Amirah, who played an extra in Season 1, alleged her skin was intentionally darkened for her role on the series. HBO officially responded to her claims in March, stating, "This should not have happened, and we are taking steps to ensure this doesn’t occur again in the future."

Season 1 of Lovecraft Country is streaming on HBO Max.

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Source: Variety