'Scavengers Reign' Cancelled After One Season

HBO Max's Scavengers Reign has been canceled less than a year after Season 1 premiered on the streamer. Deadline reports that the first season will remain on Max but will not continue, while it will also be available to stream on Netflix in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland and New Zealand from May 31. Co-created and executive produced by animators, writers, and directors Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner for Max, Scavengers Reign is based on their 2016 short film Scavengers.

Max announced the series in June 2022 but released it in October 2023 and ever since then, it has gained positive reviews, perhaps not enough to keep it on the streamer for a second season. Scavengers Reign follows the survivors of a damaged space ship, Demeter 227, who get stranded on Vesta, a dangerous but fascinating planet. The survivors, who struggle to survive on the alien planet, get separated into three groups at first, but eventually, all their paths lead towards the crash-landed Demeter.

The animated sci-fi production stars Sunita Mani as Ursula, Wunmi Mosaku as Azi, Alia Shawkat as Levi, Bob Stephenson as Sam, and Ted Travelstead as Kamen, with other stars like Alia Shawkat (Kamen's wife Fiona), Sepideh Moafi and Skyler Gisondo making guest appearances. The supervising director is Benjy Brooke, while Chris Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, Shannon Prynoski and Ben Kalina for Titmouse serve as executive producers. In addition, the series is co-executive produced by Sean Buckelew and James Merrill for Green Street Pictures.

'Scavengers Reign' Will Move to Netflix

Compared to other successful alien-themed projects like Nope and A Quiet Place that have aliens come down to Earth as invaders, Scavengers Reign sees its human characters as the invaders on an alien world. They crash-land on an unsuspecting world that is swarming with life, but that doesn't have any superior form of society or technology. The aliens on Vesta have never seen a human before and have no idea how to handle or interact with one. The characters crash-land in separate escape pods with Ursula and Sam in one, Azi and her robotic assistant Levi in another, and Kamen alone and traumatized in the third pod.

Although Max is not renewing Scavengers Reign for a second season, Netflix will begin streaming the series at the end of the month. Still, the series is available to stream on Max in the U.S.