In the current age of infinite reboots, it is rare for a network to allow a smash television series to simply end with dignity. But on Wednesday, HBO revealed that it will be doing just that with Sharp Objects, the stunning drama starring Amy Adams as a scarred reporter who returns to her Southern hometown to solve a crime and settle some family grievances. Adapted from Gillian Flynns novel, the series is HBOs latest hit literary adaptation directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Unlike its predecessor Big Little Lies, however, Sharp Objects will absolutely not be returning for a second season.
During a Television Critics Association panel on Wednesday, HBO president of programming Casey Bloys revealed the reasoning behind stopping the series after a single season.
“Unlike Big Little Lies where all of the stars wanted to come back, Sharp Objects—its a very dark character, very dark material,” Bloys said. “Amy doesnt want to live in this character again and I cant blame her, its a lot to take on for an actress. So no plans for a second season. We are very happy with this living as a limited series.”
In June, Adams described the toll that playing Camille Preaker for five months worth of filming took on her.
“I often said that if I left set or left a scene feeling like I needed to cry or left crying, I had done my job,” Adams told The Hollywood Reporter. “Because Camille isnt someone whos going to cry in front of people, shes going to internalize that pain. I felt like I had residual pain from her more than pain playing her. I also tend to be a sufferer of, like, two to three oclock in the morning insomnia, and thats when Camille would catch up with me. Id wake up in the middle of the night and have like unexplained terror or self-loathing and Id have to work my way out of it.”
Marti Noxon, the Sharp Objects show-runner and producer, similarly clarified on Wednesday that the shows eight episodes, which end August 26, will be it—even though Sharp Objects premiered to over 30 percent more viewers than Big Little Lies. “Were not talking about a Season 2,” Noxon said. “This is it, so bask in it while you can.”
This past March, after winning four Golden Globes in January and eight Emmys last September, Big Little Lies began production on its its second season, which re-united stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz, and added one more Oscar winner to the mix: Meryl Streep.
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Julie MillerJulie Miller is a Senior Hollywood writer for Vanity Fairs website.
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