Just when we thought the Prison Break franchise was over, it sounds like we’re getting another series.
Deadline reported around this time last year that Hulu had put a “new incarnation” of the hit drama into development. Today, they reported that it has officially received a pilot order.
Prison Break first aired on FOX in 2005 before being canceled in 2009 after four seasons.
However, FOX aired a limited series revival in 2017, bringing back the show’s key players, including Wentworth Miller, Sarah Wayne Callies, and Dominic Purcell.
The next chapter will be an entirely new concept but will still take place in the universe of the original series.
That’s probably an excellent idea, given how Prison Break Season 5 ended.
If you’re a Prison Break fan, you were likely upset by the end of the show’s original run, which seemingly sealed Michael Scofield’s fate.
The ending didn’t sit well with fans, and for good reason: It was never supposed to be the end.
Another chapter was always planned to bring Michael back to life or, at the very least, reveal he was alive.
By the end of Prison Break Season 5 Episode 9, there was a resolution for all of the key players, something we didn’t get with the 2009 series finale.
As a result, kicking off a new storyline featuring those characters probably wouldn’t work.
There’s also a good chance that Wentworth wouldn’t be interested in returning to that role.
Despite calls from fans for more Prison Break, Miller revealed in 2020 that he was done with the franchise.
“I just don’t want to play straight characters. Their stories have been told (and told). So… no more Michael,” he said at the time.
“If you were a fan of the show, hoping for additional seasons… I understand this is disappointing. I’m sorry.”
“Fully support and understand your reasoning. Glad you have made this decision for you health and your truth,” Purcell wrote in the comments at the time.
Callies added, “With gratitude for all the work we did together, and with deep love, I’m voicing my support for that choice.”
Things could have changed in the years since, and there’s always the possibility that Miller could make a cameo.
Taking the franchise in a new direction is interesting because, at one point, a spinoff was in the works at the height of the show’s popularity.
Unfortunately, it never came to pass with the creatives focused on the main series.
There was also an idea for a Prison Break Season 6 that would have brought back the original cast, but from a marketing point of view, a new series with a new cast could drum up some more interest.
That doesn’t mean we won’t see some familiar faces because we met many people throughout the show’s five-season run.
Mayans M.C. showrunner Elgin James’ attachment to the project is also intriguing.
Mayans M.C. was a fantastic, markedly grittier series than Sons of Anarchy.
A new Prison Break tale would have to be gritty to live up to what came earlier in the franchise, but as far as plot details go, we’re at a loss, and the powers that be are keeping them tightly under wraps.
There was plenty of corruption in the initial series, so there’s a high chance that the world of Prison Break hasn’t changed in the years since.
The natural next step for the franchise would be to set the show at a female prison with a predominantly female ensemble because it would set it apart from the original series.
The final chapter of the original series focused on Sarah (Callies) and Gretchen (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) in a women’s prison, and there was plenty of drama as Michael tried to save his wife.
The prison setting will always be necessary for the show to succeed because it’s not like a new series can be called “Prison Break” without having a unique spin on the tried and true formula.
The move to streaming will also allow for more freedom in the storytelling department, making an update in this franchise all the more worthwhile.
It’s hard to be excited when story details are being kept under wraps, but having James along for the ride and working with the original creatives should lead to something very good.
What are your thoughts on Prison Break getting an update?
Are you interested?
Hit the comments below.
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