There’s no beating around the bush (unless beating bushes is your thing) – The Expanse is one of the greatest sci-fi series of all time. For starters, it’s a rare example of a show steadily improving with each passing season. Secondly, it’s well-acted, well-executed, and chock-full of thought-provoking themes. It holds a mirror up for us to examine our own actions, and how, despite taking place 200-some years into the future, humans are gonna human. There’s a plausibility to this future, too. We could very well make the same technological advancements as presented in The Expanse.
Of course, a significant portion of the show’s success can be attributed to its source material. James S.A. Corey’s (the nom de plume for writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) titular book series is a compelling read. It also helps that Abraham and Franck contributed heavily to the adaptation’s shape and tone. Following The Expanse‘s conclusion of its six-season run on Prime Video, the authors now have another adaptation in the works with the streaming juggernaut. This time, it’s a TV show based on The Captive’s War sci-fi series, which Amazon picked up on Nov. 21, 2024. While The Expanse is pretty damn close to flawless, there’s one major issue that this new Prime Video adaptation can remedy right out of the gate.
‘The Expanse’ Made Its Debut on a Different Platform
The Expanse was optioned for TV on Sept. 4, 2013, by Alcon Television Group, a little over two years after the first novel in the series, Leviathan Wakes, hit bookshelves. Syfy committed to a straight-to-series order on April 11, 2014, with the first episode debuting on Dec. 14, 2015. At the time, Syfy President Dave Howe remarked that the series was “epic in scale and scope” and that it promised to be the channel’s “most ambitious series to date.” He certainly wasn’t wrong on that front. Compared to the cable network’s other offerings, The Expanse appeared to have a sizable budget. (And that’s not a diss aimed at the shows of that era; this writer misses when Syfy was the hub for genre TV.)
Unfortunately, Syfy canceled the show in May 2018. Its cancellation brought the fans out to campaign for it in droves, with Alcon Entertainment, which produced and financed The Expanse, shopping it around to other networks/streamers in hopes of a revival. Those on Twitter back then undoubtedly remember the #SaveTheExpanse fan campaign. Thankfully, Amazon picked up the show for Season 4 on May 25, 2018, with said season premiering on the platform on Dec. 13, 2019.
Now backed by that sweet, sweet Amazon money, there was a noticeable upgrade in the visual effects for the series. Seasons 5 and 6 debuted on Dec. 16, 2020, and Dec. 10, 2021, respectively, with the series finale airing on Jan. 14, 2022. While The Expanse was renewed for a sixth and final season on Nov. 24, 2020, Franck and Abraham claimed that the show wasn’t canceled, but merely “on pause.” There are three books left in the series that are ripe for adaptation.
‘The Captive’s War’ Will Be a Prime Video Series From the Get-Go
All this to say, The Expanse changed hands halfway through its rocky run, ultimately surviving cancellation before moving to Amazon. The Captive’s War won’t have this problem. For the uninitiated, here’s a synopsis of the series:
“Set in a distant future of galactic empires and alien civilizations, and inspired by the biblical Book of Daniel, The Captive’s War follows a group of prisoners who rise from the ashes of catastrophe to destroy their conqueror’s society from within. It is an epic tale about the transformative power of individuality in a totalitarian world.”
As of writing, the first book, The Mercy of the Gods, and the novella “Livesuit” were released in 2024. The second book, titled The Faith of the Beasts, will be published on April 14, 2026. There’s also a planned third novel in the works.
There’s more on the line for Amazon here. The Captive’s War will be a true original series from the start. Of course, The Expanse proved to be a massive hit despite being part of Amazon’s original programming for only half of its lifespan. Still, it’s proof that Abraham and Franck can reel in viewers. Not to mention, The Expanse showrunner Naren Shankar is also serving as showrunner for The Captive’s War. Shankar, Abraham, and Franck are also the founding members of Expanding Universe, the multimedia company that struck the deal with Amazon, alongside Breck Eisner, who directed 14 episodes of The Expanse.
With that faith in place and a history of performing well, this next chapter for James S.A. Corey will undoubtedly get an expensive marketing campaign from the streamer. Even originals like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and the Citadel franchise were reinforced by Amazon despite both having their respective issues. One only needs to look at the marketing for both to see that Amazon isn’t afraid to put its money where its mouth is.
Sure, viewership decreased for Rings of Power Season 2 (a 60 percent drop from Season 1’s total minutes watched), but Amazon is playing the long game and is committed to investing in five seasons of the show. Meanwhile, Citadel was the platform’s second most-watched original series. (The Wheel of Time appears to be the big-budget anomaly here.)
Fans can rest assured that The Captive’s War is in good hands. Arguably, the studio has more to invest in this series compared to The Expanse, given the above. Combine that with the same team bringing this show to life, and we’re certainly in for a thrilling sci-fi ride.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
