On November 4th, Joseph Bennett, co-creator of the animated series Scavenger’s Reign alongside Charles Huettner, shared the news that the show had not been renewed for a second series, alongside a montage of concept shots of what that second season could include in an Instagram post. It was hoped that the show’s addition to Netflix earlier this year signaled Netflix’s interest in greenlighting a second season, but with Bennett’s announcement it’s clear these hopes haven’t materialized, and no other distributor has yet to be confirmed.
With the future of the show at stake, this montage serves not only to excite fans about the potential of a second season, but also to sell the idea to other potential distributors and producers. While concept art and videos have been used to sell TV shows in the past, what is different here is how publicly this is taking place, and the role that the reaction of the fans could have to getting a second season greenlit from another network or distributor.
Concept Art for Scavenger’s Reign by Charlies Huettner
Like concept art, concept videos like this have long been shared internally in the development of films and television, often in pitching shows to networks, or shared within the creative team to assist in the production of the show itself. They have also been shared as a part of promoting a show after an official release date is assured. The video Bennett shared on Monday represents a mix of these uses, promoting a potential second season of the show that is still uncertain. While this isn’t the norm when it comes to sharing concept art and videos, it is certainly not uncommon, with many independent films raising money publicly based on concept art, trailers, and other production assets before undertaking the costly process of producing the entire series.
In the case of Scavenger’s Reign, this video could act as a rallying point for fans to unite behind in their efforts to get a second season produced elsewhere. While it’s still early to tell the extent of the fan interaction or its impact, sharing the concept video alone could be enough to get a new season picked up. Show creators Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner used the short film Scavengers (2016) as a proof of concept to pitch for Scavenger’s Reign, suggesting a similar outcome could occur with the second season.
The first season of Scavenger’s Reign debuted on Max in October of 2023, and was met with both public and critical acclaim. In it, the rich, vibrant planet Vesta becomes an unwelcoming home for the small group of scavengers who try to survive there, living off of the plant and animal life which make up a dense, intricate ecosystem. The second season would offer a deeper look into this world, which is singular in its vision when compared to any other science fiction or animated shows.
Background Art for Scavenger’s Reign by Charles Huettner
Critically, the video that was shared by Bennett with the recent announcement was more than storyboards or stills, it was a fully produced teaser, showing the level of artistry consistent with Scavenger’s Reign, and the cohesive creative vision already in place for a second season. In the closing lines of his post Bennett rallies “But this is not the end. There is more story to be told, we are ready to make another season…” In this effort, Bennett, Huettner and the Scavenger’s Reign team face obstacles like the high cost of contemporary animation production, and the high expectation of returns by funding sources, but despite this, hopes remain high that Scavenger’s could very well return.
The cover image for this article is a still from Season 1, Episode 11, courtesy of Max.