The TNT original series Animal Kingdom wrapped its six-season run with a finale that left things hanging for several characters. Naturally, there are fans wondering whether this is truly the end of the Cody family or if there’s room for a spinoff to keep the story going.
Let’s explore why an Animal Kingdom spinoff could work as well as some of the key reasons why landing a spinoff would be an uphill battle.
*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD * for Animal Kingdom's final season.
Could there be an Animal Kingdom spinoff? How the finale sets it up
The Animal Kingdom finale brought closure to many of the characters, but there was plenty of unfinished business that could be turned into a spinoff.
J Cody (Finn Cole) set his plan in motion in the penultimate episode of the series when he channeled all of the family's money into his bank account, signaling a major deviation from the plan to split things after freeing Pope (Shawn Hatosy) from prison. During the prison break, he didn’t meet up with his uncles to deliver them to safety, instead phoning in a tip to the police as to their whereabouts.
When his girlfriend didn’t want to go along with his plan to take their money and run, he killed her and fled Oceanside — and the country — before anyone could tie him to what was happening with his uncles. At the end of the series we see J sitting ramrod-straight (eerily similar to Pope’s posture) at a resort in a foreign country. Though he was able to avenge his mother, he doesn’t look like he’s enjoying his new life.
Deran Cody (Jake Weary) is the only Cody sibling to make it out of the finale alive. He was last seen with his brother Craig (Ben Robson) after Craig died from a wound he sustained on the run from the police. If their plan had been successful, Deran would have headed to Indonesia to possibly reunite with his exiled ex-boyfriend while Craig was meeting up with newly minted fiancée Renn and their son.
Since the plan fell apart (it literally went "FUBAR", as the title of the show suggests) Deran is alive, but he was being pursued by the police. With no money and the police hot on his trail, getting out of the country will be a tall task. That means his future is uncertain, but after losing his brothers there’s no doubt he has revenge on his mind.
More Animal Kingdom
- Interview: Animal Kingdom's Jasper Polish and Kevin Csolak
- Animal Kingdom series finale: what happened, who survived
- Animal Kingdom: Ben Robson, Jake Weary tease 'high octane' season 6
With J and Deran still alive at the end, there’s every reason to believe that their story could continue in a spinoff. Between Deran’s precarious situation and desire for revenge and J’s new life on the run, there are lots of ways the Cody saga could continue in the present day.
The other tantalizing spinoff possibility is that we could get a prequel to the Cody family story. (After all, that worked out pretty well for Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul.) Season 6 featured the Codys in 1992 when Smurf (Leila George) was educating her children about how to live lives of crime. We see her cruelly parting ways with her daughter Julia (Jasper Polish), linking the finale to the series opener when Julia died of an overdose.
Thanks to the dual timelines, Animal Kingdom has several stories that could play out in a spinoff. Even if they were limited series, there’s enough there to keep fans happy.
How likely is an Animal Kingdom spinoff?
Earlier this year, Leila George told Wonderwall that she wishes her role had been done as a spinoff so she could explore Smurf’s early days in greater detail.
"Yes, there were some times when I found myself wishing that the whole thing — my whole part — had been done as a spinoff so that I did have a chance to go really deep into each decade," she said.
In November 2021, TNT General Manager Brett Weitz told Deadline that when it comes to the possibility of an Animal Kingdom spinoff, he told [Animal Kingdom showrunner] John Wells that "not only is [his] door open but there’s probably a slot on the air for him to do [a spinoff]."
If the cast is willing to return and if the showrunner and writers are interested, it seems like a spinoff would be a foregone conclusion. That is until that pesky Warner/Discovery merger happened.
When the merger was finalized earlier this year, one of the first things the new company did was announce that there would be no more scripted programming at TNT, TBS and truTV. Swiftly afterward Animal Kingdom supporter Weitz became one of the first executives to lose his job...
Since then, Warner Bros. Discovery has axed several movies, series and projects in development to help cut costs. At the moment, it looks like the chances of WBD giving an Animal Kingdom spinoff the green light appear slim.
Why we still have hope for an Animal Kingdom spinoff
With so many streaming services competing for more eyeballs, streamers are always shopping for hot content. When beloved shows are canceled, they have been known to find homes on other networks or platforms. Lucifer, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Manifest are all examples of shows that were canceled but found new homes on other platforms thanks to fans raising their voices and catching the attention of studio executives.
So, there’s no reason the spinoff couldn’t be shopped around to another platform if Warner Bros. is willing to allow its show to go elsewhere. (There’s precedent for this — Netflix hit The Sandman is a Warner Bros. show)
In fact, an Animal Kingdom spinoff could land in its own backyard at HBO Max. It would be a solid move for the beleaguered streamer given that Animal Kingdom comes with a built-in audience and proven ratings.
In this uncertain entertainment landscape, particularly in a post-merger world, it would take one heck of a hail Mary for an Animal Kingdom spinoff to happen. However, when it comes to beloved series finding a way back to life, we’ve learned that you never say never.
