Sci-fi mystery series The Boroughs was Matt and Ross Duffer’s newest project after Stranger Things concluded last year. But, after just one season, Netflix has suddenly cancelled the show. The show had some big names, too. Alfred Molina, a.k.a Tobey Maguire’s Doc Ock, and Geena Davis, Thelma of Thelma and Louise, were just two of the various stars who appeared in the show.
The star-studded cast alongside the SFX-heavy subject matter, according to The Hollywood Reporter, required a hefty budget; “sci-fi is expensive.”
In addition, The Duffers’ production house, Upside Down Pictures, made an August 2025 deal with Paramount. They ended their deal with Netflix this April. According to Deadline, the show garnered almost 20 million views in its first week on Netflix. However, it experienced a swift drop to just over 3 million in its second week out. Both of these factors could also explain Netflix’s decision to cut the show.
For those who still haven’t seen the one-season-wonder, here is a synopsis:
In a seemingly perfect retirement community, a crew of unlikely heroes must stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have: time.
The Boroughs has appeared on Netflix’s “Top 10” list since it dropped in May. And, as previously reported by Deadline, season two writers had begun to convene in hopes of getting ahead. The show was projected to span three seasons, and everybody on the team hoped for a renewal, including star Alfred Molina.
“We’ve got a great premise. The sets are all there. I’d love to do more.”
Unfortunately, this was not enough in light of the show’s expenses, the drop in viewership, and the Duffer Brothers’ move to Paramount, so The Boroughs is now officially cancelled. For Netflix, it probably was as simple as weighing the costs versus the benefits of continuing this now-short story.
Recently, Paramount announced it will be working on an “event movie” with the brothers. The studio has kept any further details from reaching the public, other than that it will come out in November 2028.