Netflix Canceling Sophia Lillis' Fantasy Show With 86% On RT After Just One Season Hurts Even More After Her $208M Fantasy Movie Letdown

Netflix is notorious for canceling new shows too quickly, but Sophia Lillis’ fantasy series from 2020 deserved to get more than one season. Lillis is an incredibly talented young actress who rose to prominence after she played the part of young Beverly Marsh in 2017s It. Despite being just 15 years old when the movie was released, Lillis played a pivotal role, which helped her to land other central roles in shows like Sharp Objects where she played a younger version of Amy Adams, and the role of Doric in the star-studded Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie.

However, since her initial success, Lillis has yet to tackle a role that has given her the chance to really shine. And in the one series where Lillis had the leading role, where Lillis was clearly able to invest in the character, Netflix shut the show down after just one season. However, Lillis does have several projects in the pipeline, which is a testament to her talents and perseverance. Hopefully, one of those projects can present a challenge fitting of Lillis’ talents, but it continues to highlight how underutilized this exceptional actress is thus far in her career.

Sophia Lillis’ I Am Not Okay With This Deserved Another Season

A Compelling Fantasy Coming-Of-Age Story With A Dark Twist

I Am Not Okay with This was an incredibly promising coming-of-age fantasy series that delivered a dark story in a delightfully charming manner. The series was adapted from the comics of the same name by Charles Forsman, which follows a girl named Sydney Novak who discovers that she has mysterious telekinetic powers. Lillis played the lead role, and it was a perfect role which highlighted her ability to play a complex character who has intense personal struggles, while also being funny, charming, and engaging.

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The series took audiences on an intriguing journey through season 1, ending on a tense cliffhanger, and all appeared well when the show was given the green light for a second season. However, Netflix soon reversed their decision, canceling I Am Not Okay with This, and citing the primary reason as being due to the COVID pandemic. This blow for Lillis’ career is devastating, as the show had real promise, and was clearly connecting with viewers, who gave the show a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sophia Lillis Hasn’t Had Much Luck In The Fantasy Genre

Horror Proved More Fruitful Than Fantasy For Sophia Lillis

Despite Lillis’ leading role in a huge blockbuster horror film inspired by Stephen King’s It, and the sequel, as the actress has branched off into other genres, it’s been a challenge to find one role that sticks. Lillis is highly capable of playing dark, intriguing, intense, and fun characters, but for whatever reason, her fantasy roles have not gotten the same reception as horror and thriller-style projects. This can be seen both in the fact that I Am Not Okay with This was canceled after one season, and Honor Among Thieves, a D&D story, massively underperformed.

Yes, Honor Among Thieves did pull in over $208 million at the box office, but when considering the fact that the production budget alone was $150 million (via The Numbers), and much more would have been spent on the marketing of the film in the hopes of seeing a return on that sum, it was a financial flop. But in both instances, the projects have been good. They both received plenty of positive reviews, featured incredibly talented actors, and told compelling narratives set in fantastic alternate worlds, but it hasn’t been enough to make them work.

Sophia Lillis Should Still Get To Appear In A Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Sequel

Honor Among Thieves 2 Needs To Bring Back Doric

When shows go to the Netflix graveyard, they tend to stay there. In fact, most shows that get canceled never return, except for the ones that have built up an extremely dedicated fanbase over at least a couple of seasons. When a show gets canceled following its premiere season, the momentum just isn’t there to bring it back. However, despite Honor Among Thieves’ financial failure, there is potential for that story to continue. In large part due to the enduring and increasing popularity of D&D.

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Back when D&D first came out, it was a niche game played by very few people. But today, D&D has become an incredibly popular genre in its own right, with millions of people watching lengthy campaigns on YouTube and streaming platforms. At present, there are plans to make a live-action spin-off for Honor Among Thieves, but it also appears that a sequel has not been written off. If Honor Among Thieves 2 does get made at some point, Sophia Lillis needs to be brought back and given another shot to make her mark on the fantasy genre.