Showtime has reversed its Season 2 pickup decision for On Becoming a God in Central Florida, starring Kirsten Dunst. Originally renewed more than a year ago, in September 2019, filming on the series’ second season was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, which halted all production in mid-March.

“Last year, Showtime renewed On Becoming A God In Central Florida but unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we were unable to move forward with production on the new season,” the network said in a statement to Deadline. “The pandemic has continued to challenge schedules across the board, and although we have made every effort to reunite the cast and crew for a second season, that has become untenable. It is with great regret that we are acknowledging On Becoming a God will not return.”

“We extend our deepest thanks to star and executive producer Kirsten Dunst, creators Robert Funke and Matt Lusky, showrunner Esta Spalding and their fellow executive producers George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Charlie McDowell, the terrific cast and crew, and our partners at Sony Pictures Television.”

The series, from Sony’s TriStar Television, has become the latest casualty of the coronavirus-related production shutdown. Citing COVID-related circumstances, Netflix decided not to proceed with the previously ordered fourth and final season of GLOW and second seasons of The Society and I Am Not Okay With This. TruTV did the same with the previously greenlighted third season of comedy I’m Sorry. Factoring into those decisions have been the uncertainty around production dates, balancing the availability of actors and significant added costs due to COVID.

Created and executive produced by Funke and Lutsky and starring Dunst, On Becoming A God is a darkly comedic story about the cult of free enterprise and one woman’s relentless pursuit of the American Dream. The series, originally ordered by YouTube, co-starred Théodore Pellerin, Mel Rodriguez, Beth Ditto and Ted Levine. The cast has been paid for Season 2.

On Becoming A God In Central Florida follows Krystal Stubbs (Dunst), a minimum-wage water park employee who lies, schemes and cons her way up the ranks of Founders American Merchandise (FAM) — the cultish, flag-waving, multibillion-dollar pyramid scheme that drove her to ruin in the first place, run by the powerful Obie Garbeau II (Levine). Determined to make a better life for herself, Krystal dives deep into FAM and develops a tangled relationship with FAM’s most loyal and fanatical follower Cody (Pellerin), until her business begins to affect those closest to her, including Ernie (Rodriguez), her affable water park boss, and his FAM-skeptic wife Bets (Ditto).

Produced by Sony’s TriStar Television, the series was also executive produced by Smokehouse Pictures’ Clooney and Heslov, Spalding, who also served as showrunner, along with Dunst and McDowell.

Nellie Andreeva, Deadline

Well that sucks!