A couple of months after the comic book conspiracy thriller series Utopia premiered on Amazon, the streaming service canceled it.
The series was inspired by the British series of the same name, and it came from writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects), who also served as showrunner and executive producer. The story revolved around a group of fans who are obsessed with a comic book called Dystopia and its sequel Utopia. It turns out that the conspiracy in the comic book’s plot is actually real.
When a group of young fans starts seeing the clues hidden in the comic that there’s a looming pandemic disaster, they embark on a high-stakes twisted adventure to use what they uncover to save themselves, each other, and ultimately humanity. In the process, they find themselves on the run from trained assassins.
I thought the series was going to be a solid series with a strong audience. The show looked like a twisted and crazy show that people might enjoy. I guess that’s not how things played out. I think Amazon thought they might have another The Boys on their hands, but Utopia was nowhere as good as The Boys.
The series had an impressive cast that included John Cusack, Rainn Wilson, Jessica Rothe, Sasha Lane, Desmin Borges, Javon “Wanna” Walton, Dan Byrd, Farrah Mackenzie, Christopher Denham, Cory Michael Smith, and Ashleigh LaThrop. This is the full synopsis:
Utopia centers on a group of comic fans who meet online and bond over their obsession of a seemingly fictional comic called, “Utopia.” Together, Ian (Dan Byrd), Becky (Ashleigh LaThrop), Samantha (Jessica Rothe), Wilson Wilson (Desmin Borges) and Grant (Javon “Wanna” Walton) unearth hidden meanings cloaked within the pages of “Utopia,” predicting threats to humanity. They realize these are not just the makings of a conspiracy; they are very real dangers coming alive right now in their world. The high-stakes adventure brings the group face-to-face with the comic’s famed central character, Jessica Hyde (Sasha Lane), who joins them on their mission to save the world while harboring secrets of her own.
Utopia was executive produced by Gillian Flynn, Jessica Rhoades, Sharon Levy, Sharon Hall, Toby Haynes, Karen Wilson, and Dennis Kelly, who is the creator of the original British TV series on which this new series is based.