According to reports, the second season of “Arcane” was supposed to run for five seasons. Why does my absolute favorite series on Netflix end after two?

by Junna Base November 8, 2024

That’s what a new report claims Arcane could have run for five seasons
However, the two seasons reportedly cost over $200 million to produce
However, Riot Games and Netflix are not clear about how expensive it was

Arcane Season 2 will be bringing the curtain down on the hugely popular Netflix show very soon, but it sounds like that wasn’t always the case.

According to a new report from Variety, the critically acclaimed and award-winning animated series was initially set to receive additional episodes. In fact, Variety’s sources claim that Riot Games, which is overseeing development, is on Arcane Originally planned to run for five seasons alongside Netflix and the animation studio Fortiche Production.

With Arcane Season 2 was supposed to be the final chapter of the hit series, but – if Variety’s report is to be believed – those plans were changed significantly at some point during production. It’s unclear whether the plan will apply to Riot, Netflix and Fortiche first League of Legends (Lol) The adaptation was changed when development of the first season was at its peak or while the second season was being filmed.

Don’t blink. Two more days until the final season premiere of #Arcane, only on @netflix. pic.twitter.com/rjqC6p7tsDNovember 7, 2024

Based on Variety’s report, the decision was made to finalize ArcaneThe story after two seasons seems to have to do with money. According to the network’s sources, one of Netflix’s best shows of all time is also the most expensive animated series of all time, with Riot reportedly pumping out a staggering $250 million – roughly, anyway – into 18 episodes spread over two seasons. Reportedly, $80 million was spent on the first season, with another $100 million spent on the sequel, which will air exclusively on Netflix starting Saturday, November 9th.

Variety’s sources indicate that the costly undertaking was largely due to a “labor-intensive approach,” script delays during the second season’s development, and Riot’s decision to launch a $1,000 marketing campaign ahead of the first season’s release in November 2021 60 million US dollars to finance. That final sum is far more than what Netflix reportedly spent on its own advertising campaign, although Netflix and Riot declined to comment on the specifics of their financial spending when approached by Variety.

Cheer up, Jinx – at least Arcane wasn’t canceled after one season! (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

Regardless, Netflix and Riot aren’t worried about how much they reportedly spent on the series. Arcane became Netflix’s new TV favorite when the first season started three years ago LolThe series it inspired became the most-streamed show in 85 countries in its first week on the world’s top streaming service and received a rare but entirely deserved 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

With the TV project also winning four Emmys at the 2022 Television Academy awards ceremony, including a historic award for Outstanding Animated Program, there’s little doubt that the pair feel vindicated on the production budget front. This is evident from an answer that Marc Merrill also gave to Variety. The Riot co-founder said: “We are more than happy with the spending it took to deliver a show worthy of our players’ time.”

As I mentioned earlier, the long overdue release of season two is almost upon us and if so Arcane One can trust the official trailer of season 2, it looks like it will be just as epic, heartbreaking and action-packed as its predecessor. Before the first three episodes arrive on November 9th, find out everything about all the characters Arcane‘s second season, or catch up on the eight big questions I need to answer in Season 2 before the show ends. Oh, and check back soon for my full thoughts on season two.