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Animated Sci-Fi Series ‘Pantheon’ Cancelled by AMC

Despite a fully produced second season, the promising show and first traditionally 2D animated venture for the network was axed due to corporate cost-cutting.

Another promising animated series bites the dust due to corporate cost-cutting. This time, Pantheon has been cancelled by AMC Studios after one season, despite being greenlit for two seasons in March 2020. Not only that, but the second season has already been produced… though that means there is a possibility it may be sold and hosted on another platform.

According to Variety, Pantheon was included in a list of programming write-offs in early December of last year. “The embattled network’s cost-cutting measures include $400 million for ‘strategic programming assessments’ and $75 million for ‘organizing restructuring costs,’ per an SEC filing.”

Based on short stories by award-winning author Ken Liu, the series explores the outer limits of what people and technology can create and destroy and the possibilities of “uploading” human consciousness to the “cloud.” The series debuted on AMC+ and was featured on AMC’s newly acquired anime streaming service, HIDIVE. AWN spoke to creator and showrunner Craig Silverstein last summer about the unique show.

The show follows a bullied teen (Katie Chang) who receives mysterious help from a stranger online, soon revealed to be her recently deceased father, David (Daniel Dae Kim). Following an experimental destructive brain scan, David’s consciousness was uploaded to the Cloud. Now he is the first of a new kind of being – an “Uploaded Intelligence” or “UI” – but he will not be the last, as a global conspiracy unfolds that threatens to trigger a new kind of world war.

The series is helmed by Silverstein (TURN: Washington’s SpiesNikitaTerra Nova), the series’ writer, creator, showrunner, and executive producer, with animation by Titmouse (home to Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-HeadMotorcity, and Big Mouth). Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, Ben Kalina, and Juno Lee executive produce for Titmouse.

Laurén Alexa's picture

Cybersecurity specialist by day, investigative journalist by night.