The Truth Behind HBO Max’s ‘Raised by Wolves’ Cancellation Is Finally Out

For years, fans of Raised by Wolves have wondered why HBO Max suddenly canceled the sci-fi series after just two seasons. Now, executive producer David W. Zucker has finally shared what happened behind the scenes, and according to him, the decision had little to do with the show’s performance.

Speaking with ScreenRant’s Ben Gibbons during the 2026 Italian Global Series event, Zucker explained that the creative team was preparing for another season before everything changed because of the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. According to Zucker, the series was on track to continue until Warner Bros. Discovery’s new leadership took over.

“We were ready to do it,” Zucker said, before explaining that “David Zaslav came in” following the merger, and “our third season got set aside.” The comments offer the clearest explanation yet for why Raised by Wolves never returned, despite building a loyal fanbase and receiving stronger reviews with its second season.

Created by Aaron Guzikowski and executive produced by Ridley Scott through Scott Free Productions, Raised by Wolves premiered in 2020 on HBO Max. The series followed two androids tasked with raising human children on the distant planet Kepler-22b after Earth was destroyed by war. Their mission becomes increasingly complicated when a religious group known as the Mithraic arrives on the planet, leading to conflict between science, faith, and survival.

The show starred Amanda Collin, Abubakar Salim, Travis Fimmel, Niamh Algar, and several other actors. While the first season earned mostly positive reviews, the second season received even stronger praise from critics and developed an even more dedicated audience.

Despite that momentum, HBO Max canceled the series in 2022, leaving the story unfinished and fans without answers. Zucker admitted he still hopes the show can return one day. “I personally wish that we would be able to bring Raised by Wolves back,” he said during the interview. He also pointed out that television has changed a lot over the years, making unexpected revivals possible.

“I never thought we would make an Alien or Blade Runner series,” Zucker said. “I keep hoping that [show] might have another day.”

His comments match what star Abubakar Salim said after the cancellation. At the time, Salim also suggested that the Warner Bros. Discovery merger played a major role in the decision. He revealed that creator Aaron Guzikowski and the rest of the creative team had explored different ways to finish the story, although he admitted it would not happen “in the same way we hoped.”

Raised by Wolves was not the only high-profile series affected during that period. After the merger, Warner Bros. Discovery made several major changes as it focused on reducing costs. One of the biggest surprises came when Westworld was also canceled before it could complete its planned story. Both Westworld and Raised by Wolves were eventually removed from HBO Max altogether as part of the company’s broader streaming strategy.

Those decisions disappointed many viewers, especially because both shows had built passionate fan communities and still had unfinished storylines.

At the moment, there are no announced plans to revive Raised by Wolves. The series has yet to find a permanent streaming home, making a third season appear unlikely for now. Still, other canceled science fiction franchises have managed to continue through comic books, novels, and other formats, giving fans at least some form of closure.

For now, Zucker’s latest comments finally answer one of the biggest questions surrounding the series. According to the executive producer, Raised by Wolves was not canceled because audiences stopped watching. Instead, its future became another casualty of the massive Warner Bros. Discovery merger, ending one of HBO Max’s most ambitious science fiction shows before its story could be completed.

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