After a long battle to rescue the popular series from cancellation, Manifest has finally been saved. In a move that comes after weeks of negotiations, Netflix has rescued the NBC drama, renewing it for a fourth and final season of 20 episodes. The deal, spurred on by fans’ passionate support of the show following its cancellation by NBC, will also give the streamer exclusive streaming rights to previous seasons of the mystery drama worldwide.
The series, starring Once Upon a Time’s Josh Dallas, originally premiered on NBC in 2018, telling the story of a flight full of passengers that disappeared in mid-air, only to land at its destination five years in the future. The science-fiction mystery received an uptick in attention over the past year, and fans were devastated to hear that NBC had cancelled the series in June, leaving them with heartbreaking cliffhangers at the end of the third season.
Originally, Netflix opted not to pick the series up after its cancellation, but after weeks of long negotiations, the streaming service has decided to aid in bringing the story of Flight 828 to its conclusion, something for which creator and showrunner Jeff Rake is grateful:
“What started years ago as a flight of fancy deep in my imagination has evolved into the jet engine journey of a lifetime. Never in my wildest dreams could I have envisioned the worldwide outpouring of love and support for this story, its characters, and the team who work so hard to bring it all to life. That we will be able to reward the fans with the ending they deserve moves me to no end. On behalf of the cast, the crew, the writers, directors, and producers, thank you to Netflix, to Warner Bros., and of course to the fans. You did this.”
No release date or returning cast have been announced for the series, but with cliffhangers and the overarching story of Flight 828 to resolve, fans can expect at least a few beloved cast members to return. The final, super-sized season will also be presented in parts, though how the episodes will be divided also has yet to be determined.
Manifest also stars Melissa Roxburgh, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, and Luna Blaise, and is executive produced by Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Jacqueline Levine, and Len Goldstein. While fans wait in anticipation for its conclusion, the first three seasons of Manifest are available to stream on Netflix now.