The Great canceled at Hulu after three seasons

Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning in The Great

(Image credit: Hulu)

Hulu has canceled satirical drama-comedy The Great – and we definitely did not see that coming.

Created by Tony McNamara and based on his 2008 play of the same name, The Great stars Elle Fanning as Catherine the Great, Empress of All Russia and Nicolas Hoult as Emperor Peter III. Catherine only began her reign after overthrowing her husband Peter, with the two having a notoriously unhappy and ill-fated relationship. The series focuses on a happier version of their love story, with plenty of comedy added to the mix, which McNamara said was due to Fanning and Hoult's amazing chemistry.

The series received seven Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress and Lead Actor for Fanning and Hoult in 2022. Fanning has also received Critics Choice, Independent Spirit Award, and SAG award nominations including two more from the Golden Globes. Season three premiered on Hulu back in May of this year, and sees Catherine and Peter struggle to work on their marriage.

McNamara hinted at a potential season four earlier this year, saying, "In the first three seasons, [Peter] defines [Catherine] in a way – as any villain does. And so, it then became like, 'What is season four like, what is she now?’ She's free but damaged and all that kind of stuff.'"

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.