Courtney B. Vance wishes Lovecraft Country got the Game of Thrones treatment

Last year, HBO premiered the series Lovecraft Country, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff. And despite the series’ popularity among fans, HBO decided to not pick the show up for a second season.

It’s said the show was originally intended to be a limited series only, as they had exhausted all the material from the novel by the season finale. But still, fans had grown attached to the fantastic cast, and even showrunner Misha Green had developed plans for a second season if HBO were to greenlight it.

Now, actor Courtney B. Vance (George Freeman) is speaking out about the series cancellation, expressing his disappointment and dismay in HBO for putting an end to the series. He even compared the show to Game of Thrones, wishing Lovecraft Country could have gone on just as long.

Courtney B. Vance compares Lovecraft Country to Game of Thrones

“In my mind, it doesn’t make sense, something as successful as that show was that the powers that be couldn’t figure it out,” the actor said after win a Creative Arts Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m sad for audiences that we don’t get to see, like Game of Thrones, don’t get to see seven, eight years of following these characters and learning more about the time period and learning about our people and our struggles and where [showrunner] Misha’s [Green] mind was going to go. So that’s very painful for me as a fan and me as an actor.”

"I don’t understand it; it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t make sense to fans and that’s all who matter. We set everyone up and then we don’t deliver for whatever reason and I’m tired of it, I’m tired of that scenario. They can find a way to make a Game of Thrones but not a Lovecraft Country."

Lovecraft Country: To continue or leave it be?

Vance’s last statement alludes to probably one of the most controversial topics in entertainment right now: How much should the fans’ opinion matter? And of course, there are always two sides to an opinion.

On one hand, yes, Vance makes a good point. Lovecraft Country had some amazing characters that fans loved, and it would have been awesome to see what they do next. Jurnee Smollett’s Letitia Lewis was a standout, for example. Without a doubt, she would have likely been the lead character of the new seasons. But it’s not just the characters; the fantastic world that they built would have become even stronger in new seasons. And it’s unfortunate to see what was built up go to waste.

But still, there’s something to having a series that knows how to get in and get out. There are not many instances in television (and even movies) nowadays where the complete story is told without the need for a sequel. Sometimes a one-off story is all you need, and it was refreshing to see at least one series do that last year.

There are many sides to this argument. But ultimately, Lovecraft Country won’t be back anytime soon. So we’ll just have to enjoy the story that we got for now.

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