Showtime reverses season 2 renewal, cancels Kirsten Dunst's On Becoming a God in Central Florida

On Becoming a God in Central Florida is sleeping with the alligators.

After initially renewing the Kirsten Dunst-starring series for season 2, Showtime reversed its decision and canceled the critically acclaimed dark comedy, EW has confirmed.

The premium subscription network changed course on the Golden Globe-nominated series — about a determined water park employee, Krystal (Dunst), who, in 1992 Orlando, climbs the ladder of a business cult's pyramid scheme after her husband (Alexander Skarsgard) is eaten by a swamp-dwelling gator — amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which prevented Showtime from moving forward with production on a new season.

Théodore Pellerin (Genesis), Mel Rodriguez (The Last Man on Earth), Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto, and Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs) played supporting parts in the series, with the likes of Skarsgard, Julie Benz, Mary Steenburgen, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph appearing in small roles.

The Hollywood Reporter indicated issues complicating season 2's production included the involvement of an outside studio, Sony TV, which meant Showtime would've incurred extra costs and licensing fees atop further expensive measures to keep production safe during the spread of COVID-19.

Prior to its debut on Showtime, the George Clooney-produced project (which Dunst also produced alongside Clooney's Oscar-winning Argo collaborator Grant Heslov) navigated a difficult road to existence, after first being developed at AMC with The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos involved, and later moving to YouTube before landing its Showtime premiere in 2019.

"I read other shows before that I could’ve done, but this was just so different,” Dunst previously told EW of the freedom the character gave her. “I don’t have to be crying about some man or what the man did to me. It doesn’t matter. This is Krystal’s show and it’s not about that, which most female roles kind of still are…. This is the age range where it’s easier to find good material in television. That’s where the best work is for me and what I’m interested in doing."

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