According to Belloni, who spoke with unnamed sources, Netflix saved the show after seeing the streaming numbers for the first two seasons when they left Hulu and ended up on the platform. From there, Netflix made a better offer for the final season and has reportedly given the series a 20 episode final season with a budget of $4 to $5 million an episode, including raises for the actors.
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Belloni also reported that NBC considered a 12-episode final season with a request to decrease the licensing fee as well as a streaming window on Peacock. Netflix’s reported deal of 20 episodes with a higher budget clearly won out with those in charge ofManifest. This isn’t the first time that Netflix has saved a show and it probably won’t be the last. The platform also gave a home toLucifer, which is gearing up to finish its run later this year.
“Since its premiere on Netflix in June,Manifesthas proven very popular with our members,”Bela Bajaria, Netflix Head of Global TV, said on August 28. “[Series creator] Jeff Rake and his team have crafted a beguiling mystery that has viewers around the world on the edge of their seats and believing again in second chances, and we’re thrilled that they will bring fans some closure with this final supersized season.”
Series creatorJeff Rakehad this to say about the final season pick-up: “What started years ago as a flight of fancy deep in my imagination has evolved into the jet engine journey of a lifetime. Never in my wildest dreams could I have envisioned the worldwide outpouring of love and support for this story, its characters, and the team who work so hard to bring it all to life. That we will be able to reward the fans with the ending they deserve moves me to no end. On behalf of the cast, the crew, the writers, directors, and producers, thank you to Netflix, to Warner Bros., and of course to the fans. You did this.”
The first three seasons ofManifestare currently available to stream on Netflix, although no release date has been confirmed yet for what will be the show’s fourth and final season.
KEEP READING:‘Manifest’ Season 4 Is Closer to a Reality; Netflix Emerges as Likely New Home
