Manifest is finally making its triumphant return from the depths of cancellation, and its stars are celebrating. Series star J.R. Ramirez revealed on Instagram that the series, originally canceled by NBC before being picked up by Netflix, has gone back into production for its fourth and final season, set to consist of twenty episodes in order to wrap up creator Jeff Rake’s original vision.
Ramirez posted a photo of his dressing room door to announce the beginning of production, showing off a laminated sign for his character, Jared Vasquez. “It’s only day one and you can already feel the Level of Appreciation this group has for the Magical Ride that is Manifest,” the star writes, “But let’s keep it real…the reality is ALL of This Magic is happening because of YOU guys! You guys made this happen! We Love You. Can’t wait for you to see how it all comes together…”
Ramirez makes his return to Manifest as Vasquez, fiancé of protagonist Michaela Stone (Michelle Roxburgh) and police lieutenant for the NYPD’s 129th Precinct investigating just what happened to the passengers who disappeared on Flight 828. He joins most of the series’ original cast in their celebrated return, after NBC unceremoniously canceled the series — which gained newfound popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic — in June, only to be revived by Netflix, who noticed the significant uptick in ratings after the series left Hulu and moved to their platform.
The final season of Manifest will consist of twenty episodes (reportedly with a budget of $4 to $5 million a piece), and will retain its creators’ original plans for an ending, rather than changing to allow for more seasons or to fit the standard of streaming shows. Creator Rake calls the twenty-episode season “an embarrassment of riches” to finish telling the story of Flight 828, and that the finale of Manifest will be “quite organic”.
While fans wait patiently for the return of the beloved mystery drama, they can stream the first three seasons of Manifest, also starring Josh Dallas, Daryl Edwards, Luna Blaise, and Parveen Kaur, on Netflix now. Check out Ramirez’s post below: