Prime Video Axes 'Guilty Minds' Season 2 Citing Budget Issues; More of The Streamer's Shows Under The Scanner
The 2022 show, written and directed by Shefali Bhushan and Jayant Digambar Somalkar, was a breakout title, garnering widespread praise for its authenticity, performances, and writing.
Prime Video has pulled the plug on the second season of its acclaimed legal drama Guilty Minds, which was being developed at the streamer after being commissioned internally, reliable sources have informed The Hollywood Reporter India.
The 2022 show, written and directed by Shefali Bhushan and Jayant Digambar Somalkar, was a breakout title, garnering widespread praise for its authenticity, performances and writing, but the streamer felt the second season required a budget which wasn't feasible in the current landscape of the entertainment industry.
Shriya Pilgaonkar and Varun Mitra headlined Guilty Minds, which also starred Sugandha Garg, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Satish Kaushik and Namrata Sheth among others.
"Developing the second season was almost done when the team was informed that Prime Video is pulling the plug. The reason given was budget issues; it has been tough for shows to get commissioned and tougher even for relatively medium budget shows to break out," sources told THR India.
According to multiple sources in the know, the post-pandemic course correction of the industry, especially streamers, has put several shows either on the back burner or being commissioned at a lesser budget.
Just last week, Netflix pulled the plug on the second season of its survival thriller Kaala Paani, days before its pre-production. The streamer had renewed the show for a second season in 2023.
"Guilty Minds isn't the only show to see this fate. A lot of titles currently under Prime Video, as well as other streamers, are undergoing a 're-check' as part of the post-pandemic shift in budgeting and the slump of the industry, and many of these names will now slowly come out. This makes it harder for everyone in the ecosystem to survive—from writers and creators trying to break the mould, to actors putting their might behind new storytelling. Ultimately, this will also result in massive job losses for everyone, which has real consequences," another source adds.
When THR India reached out to Prime Video, there was no response.
Spread over 10 episodes, Guilty Minds chronicled issues such as rape, artificial intelligence and water shortage among others.