After The Rookie, Alexi Hawley launched The Recruit on Netflix. Two seasons later, the series starring Noah Centineo was canceled. In a letter, Hawley fuels hopes for a sequel.
It all looked like a born Netflix success. Noah Centineo from the To All the Boys series took on the leading role in an agent series by The Rookie creator Alexi Hawley. In fact, The Recruit was renewed for a second season, which launched this winter on the streaming service – and apparently did not meet its targets. Last week, it was announced that Netflix had canceled The Recruit. Fans were outraged, while Hawley addressed his audience and team in a long letter.
On Instagram, Hawley shared the letter the day after the The Recruit cancellation made the rounds. In it, the showrunner and creator looks back on the long journey that brought him to this point, starting with the basic idea, a “series about a CIA lawyer that wasn’t a lawyer series” and the inspiration from real-life CIA lawyer Adam Ciralsky. Hawley’s first port of call for the series was not Netflix, but USA Network, where the project did not materialize. Then came salvation:
Then the stars aligned in a way they never do. [Director and producer] Doug Liman. Noah Centineo. And a new lease on life at Netflix.
Special thanks to his leading man:
In practical terms, Noah getting on board gave us the green light. Creatively, the man is a bona fide movie star who enhances everything he touches. Emotionally, he was the best partner you could ask for.
The pandemic and a double Hollywood strike complicated production of the two seasons:
At one point, we were shooting scenes from six different episodes at once to catch up. On paper, this should have been a disaster. But when we got to the editing room, there was magic in the material. Joy, truth and courage in the performances – brought to life by a crew and cast that met every challenge. Not always with a smile, but with the conviction that the series was worth going through all of it.
The crew grew together like a family during the second season in particular:
Along the way, we filmed at the CIA, the U.S. State Department, and on a nuclear submarine. We laughed on several continents and supported each other when crying would have been more appropriate.
Instead of season 3: Alexi Hawley fuels hope for The Recruit movie
Before Alexi Hawley appeals to anyone who hasn’t seen the series yet in the letter, he offers a glimmer of hope:
Are two seasons and a movie a possibility? Because we’d all be on board in a heartbeat. If not, man, we gave it our all!
In doing so, Hawley is referring to the slogan that fans and creators of Community have adopted over the years to conjure up the future of their constantly threatened series: “Six seasons and a movie!” The comedy series will actually get a movie. However, it is not known whether Hawley is expressing a pipe dream or whether the idea has actually been pitched to Netflix.
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