SyFy’s big space drama, The Expanse, has been acquired by Netflix for global distribution, Deadline reports. The first season will be available to stream on Netflix internationally Nov. 3, and the second season will release sometime in 2017.
While the reason for the change is not clear at this time, The Expanse was certainly one of SyFy’s most ambitious and expensive projects. But even with great reviews, ratings steadily declined as Season 1 progressed.
The low ratings and big budget could be the reason why Netflix has gained rigths the series. While ratings may have suffered, The Expanse does have a cult following. The Expanse panel at New York Comic Con last weekend was packed. The main cast joined fans to preview Season 2 and show the first trailer. Unlike Season 1’s slow-build, Season 2 is all action from the start. Expect more stunning special effects as the galaxy grows larger and the series imagines space travel to Mars.
“Every one of these arcs goes deeper while the world itself grows. The scale of this season is far larger than last season if you can imagine it,” series star Steven Strait told iDigitalTimes before the panel.
The Expanse is filmed at one of the largest studio spaces in North America, Strait also revealed.
“The majority of what you see is built, practically. We are in these spaces and we have 80,000 square feet in Toronto full of sets that we blow up every two weeks,” Strait said.
Even the spaceships are real. “The Rocinante exists. It's a real ship,” Executive Producer Mark Fergus revealed. “It’s in the vibe of the show to have it feel as real as possible.”
A cut to The Expanse production budget because of poor ratings would ruin the integrity of the series considering the special effects are one of the show’s many strong points.The flexibility that comes with working with Netflix instead of only a cable network could be exactly what The Expanse needs to reach a wider audience.
Stay tuned for updates on The Expanse ’s move to Netflix.
