Prime Video series Alex Rider will unfortunately not return for Season 4, which will no doubt be disappointing to fans of the underrated adaptation. Alex Rider Season 3 debuted on Freevee on April 5, 2024, and was a well-received conclusion.
Why a Fourth Season of Alex Rider Will Not Be Happening
The Alex Rider book franchise is very popular, and the show’s success proves it has a loyal audience who consider it one of the better book-to-screen adaptations. News that Season 4 will not be happening will no doubt disappoint the fanbase who have stuck with Prime’s poor marketing of the small-screen version.
Logistical issues are likely to blame for the cancellation of Alex Rider since there is still plenty of source material to adapt. Season 1 debuted on Prime Video in 2020, while Season 2 and subsequently Season 3 aired on Amazon’s free platform, FreeVee (formerly IMDb TV), which does not require a subscription and is supported by ads. This makes an expensive ongoing series more and more difficult to produce, especially if viewing figures don’t match the budget.
The change of platform and the long wait between the second and third seasons will not have helped viewer retention, and on an ad-supported platform, those numbers are more crucial than ever. It was announced back in February that Season 3 would be the last, implying that Amazon were already unsatisfied with the show’s performance and didn’t expect it to garner a massive viewership with the release of the third season. This would also explain the substandard marketing — why waste the budget?
How many books are there?
There are fourteen books in the Alex Rider series, written by popular author Anthony Horowitz. The books have also spun off into graphic novels, and short stories. Season 3 of the show adapts the fifth novel, Scorpia, meaning there is still a lot of source material available, and this only makes the news more frustrating for fans.
Are there chances for spin-offs of Alex Rider?
There is plenty of room for Alex Rider to continue in other forms, and after the dust has settled over Season 3, there may be an opportunity for the franchise to be rebooted, or possibly even continued in the form of a feature-length film.
Way back in 2006, the property was picked up and made into a big-budget theatrically released movie, and the plan was to create a franchise. possibly like Mission; Impossible or James Bond but for a slightly younger audience. Sadly, the film did not perform as well as expected, and a poor box office take saw plans shelved. However, it was after this that the TV series was optioned, so you never know.
It is also a safe bet that the story will continue in print.
If you’re missing Alex Rider already, here are ten similar shows that might scratch the same itch.
