Lisa Kudrow in “Time Bandits”
Apple TV+ time-travelling fantasy has run out of time — Taika Waititi’s “Time Bandits” will not return for a second season.
The aim of turning the 1981 hot movie “Time Bandits” into a series for Apple TV+ has been going on since before the streamer even launched. Back in 2018, the show was known to be in active development.
Deadline, which broke the news of the cancellation, says that Apple bought the rights to the movie from a consortium including Paramount Television Studios. Just as with the original film, the TV version was produced by the UK’s HandMade Films.
Despite a cast that starred Lisa Kudrow, and a crew that included creators Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris and Taika Waititi, the show failed to attract a large enough audience in the US. It reportedly fared better in the UK, but not enough to warrant continuing.
The cancellation comes after it’s been reported that Apple has been trying to trim the budget for Apple TV+. Just on theatrical releases of its movies, Apple is said to have budgeted $1 billion annually — although it’s now also cut back on this.
