Gregg Araki says “Now Apocalypse” Season 2 was written for Starz before the series ended

Gregg Araki said he and his co-creator Karley Sciortino had already moved toward a planned second season for Starz’s “Now Apocalypse” before the series ended, describing the situation as one in which art appeared to reflect reality. In an interview with Deadline published July 29, Araki discussed the show’s long gestation and its abrupt stop after several years, and he said Season 2 “was actually written,” referencing material that never reached viewers.

The comments came as Araki promotes his new movie “I Want Your Sex,” premiering Friday, July 31 in theaters. Araki told Deadline he has been thinking about the ways audiences interpret stories that follow characters through romance, power dynamics, and escalating risk, and he connected that to the experience of working on “Now Apocalypse” and watching it conclude.

According to Deadline, Araki’s account centers on Starz’s decision-making around the series. He said the Season 2 materials were developed for the network and that the fate of the show, including its cancellation, carried a sense of irony. Deadline reported his characterization that the circumstances were “so prophetic,” tying the series’ focus on desire, catastrophe, and consequence to the real-world ending of the production.

Deadline also reported that Araki discussed the cast’s reaction and the persistence of the show’s themes even after cancellation. He described how the project’s tone and subject matter, built to test boundaries and expectations, remained salient for viewers, and he framed the unproduced Season 2 as part of that unfinished arc.

Araki and Sciortino created “Now Apocalypse,” which premiered in 2019, and Deadline noted that seven years have passed since its run began. In the interview, Araki revisited the show’s original premise, the development process, and what it meant to attempt to continue the story when the network moved in a different direction.

The director’s latest film, “I Want Your Sex,” is set for theatrical release on July 31, and Araki’s remarks to Deadline position the movie as a separate project while also re-opening discussion of the work he has done in genres that mix relationship stories with broader social and existential stakes. The unproduced “Now Apocalypse” Season 2, described by Araki as having been written, remains unreleased as of the interview date, leaving open whether any of the material will be adapted for another format.

For viewers who followed “Now Apocalypse” during its original run, the claim that additional scripted season content existed underscores how distribution and renewal decisions can reshape creative trajectories. For industry observers, Araki’s comments highlight the production reality behind streaming-era series lifecycles, where writers may build follow-on storylines that do not reach production if a partner network decides to discontinue a show.

Araki’s interview also sets the stage for renewed attention around “Now Apocalypse” as its director begins a new film rollout. With “I Want Your Sex” arriving in theaters July 31, the discussion of what Season 2 contained, and why it was not produced, is likely to remain centered on network choices and timing, rather than any single creative disagreement.