Star Wars director J.J. Abrams' new crime thriller series Duster has been cancelled at HBO Max after its first season.
The news comes not even two months after showrunners Abrams and LaToya Morgan’s retro action-comedy series premiered on HBO Max. In a statement, the streamer said, "While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a second season of Duster, we are so grateful to have had the chance to work with the amazingly talented co-creators," adding, "We are tremendously proud of this series."
Duster’s cancellation comes as a shock, as the show was well-received when it hit HBO Max on May 15. The season was met with rave reviews and stands at an impressive 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it is important to note that Duster did not draw a large audience, and failed to place on viewing charts.
Set in the '70s Southwest US, Duster "explores the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate that goes from dangerous to wildly, stupidly dangerous when a tenacious young agent comes into town hellbent on taking his crime family down," as per the official synopsis.
The show stars Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Colony actor Josh Holloway. In fact, the show acted as a sort of reunion between Abrams and Holloway, as the actor notably played a lead role in the hit ‘00s sci-fi show Lost, co-created by Abrams.
The cancellation must be especially hard for Holloway, as the actor had previously taken a break from the industry due to not being able to find work. Before Duster hit streaming, the star told The Hollywood Reporter how he "had a hard seven years," adding, "nothing was coming through… I started telling my agents, ‘Just bring me work, I need to get out of the house, it’s ridiculous.'"
When Holloway got the call from Abrams about Duster, he was over the moon. "I couldn’t even believe what I was hearing," the star told THR. "That was right before the pandemic, and then HBO was sold twice. But we kept making it through everything. [We wondered] ‘Are they going to cancel us?’ No, no. We kept chugging along."
Looking back on Holloway's past interview only makes the news more heartbreaking. Aside from HBO Max’s statement, the real reason for the show not moving forward is unknown.
Duster season 1 is available to stream on HBO Max. For more, check out our list of the best shows on HBO Max, or keep up with upcoming TV shows heading your way.
