With Warrior cancelled by Max, its future now depends on Netflix viewing
Netflix has picked up Warrior streaming rights, with future seasons possible based on viewing data.
Warrior's fight is over, at least for now. It was announced on December 18 that Max was cancelling Warrior, which streamed Warrior season 3 over the summer of 2023 after its first two seasons aired on Cinemax. But now, the show's future depends on another streaming service, Netflix.
Deadline has reported that following Warrior's cancellation, Netflix has signed on to stream Warrior's entire series, which will be in addition to the show being available to watch on Max. The plan is for Warrior to premiere on Netflix in February 2024. Deadline noted that depending on how the series performs on Netflix, the streamer could order a new season of Warrior.
So, long story short, the possibility of having more Warrior seasons could very much be in the hands of its fanbase and how many Netflix subscribers discover the series.
Warrior was created by Jonathan Tropper but was based on an original concept and treatment from martial arts legend Bruce Lee. The series was set in San Francisco in the late 1800s, when a martial arts prodigy from China arrives in the US looking for his sister but becomes embroiled in the Tong Wars that took place at that time period.
The series starred Andrew Koji, Olivia Cheng, Jason Tobin, Dianne Doan, Kieran Bew, Dean Jagger, Tom Weston-Jones, Hoon Lee, Perry Yung, Langley Kirkwood, Miranda Raison, Chen Tang and Joe Taslim. However, the actors have been released from their contracts on the show, so it is uncertain if the same group would be able to come back together for any future episodes.
"Warrior is a show that simply refuses to die. Through platform and regime changes, the writers, producers, cast, crew and our stunt team continued to make something powerful, relevant and wildly unique. And now, thanks to Netflix, we've been given yet another lease on life, and I'm thrilled for everyone involved that millions more viewers around the world will discover it," creator Tropper said in a statement to Deadline.
We've seen this story work out for a series before on Netflix. Manifest was cancelled by NBC after three seasons, but because of the popularity of the series on Netflix, the streamer ordered Manifest season 4 in order to give fans a proper conclusion. Whether or not a future season of Warrior would be its last is unclear at this time.
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An official premiere date for Warrior on Netflix is still to be announced, but you can keep up with our what's new on Netflix post to find out all of the latest shows arriving on the streamer. In the meantime, the series is still available to stream on Max.
Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.