3 Years Later, Netflix’s Weirdest Sci-Fi Thriller Is Officially Getting a Spinoff

Netflix has had its fair share of unusual shows over the years, be it an original Netflix series or a show that the streaming platform picked up later on. In fact, I’m still mourning the loss of the bizarre original Netflix series Living With Yourself, which saw Paul Rudd’s character go through a procedure that was theoretically meant to make various improvements to him, at least in his view, but instead cloned him to create a ‘better’ version of him that tries to take over his life. Sadly, that show premiered in 2019 and is therefore very unlikely to ever return, but it seems not all strange Netflix shows are being shelved. Rather, one of the streamer’s weirdest projects to date, Manifest, just got a truly unexpected update.

Manifest was not an original Netflix series. Actually, the show had debuted on NBC in 2018, and it lived on that network for three seasons until it was cancelled. Netflix saw the show’s potential, however, and swooped in to save the series and give it a fourth and final season, which was released on Netflix three years ago. That seemed likely to be the end of the road for Manifest, which was popular in its time but also had a rather confusing series finale that left a number of questions on the table and some fans frustrated (spoiler warning, but the conclusion essentially undid all that had taken place throughout the show, which generally isn’t a favorable conclusion to any story, let alone one that had multiple seasons of mind-bending plot twists and emotional reveals). However, Netflix has just shocked audiences by confirming that Manifest is indeed getting a spinoff—but there’s a catch.

The Manifest Spinoff Will Focus on Different Characters in the Same Universe

Netflix took to social media—notably on 8/28, a reference to Manifest’s Flight 828—to reveal that a brand-new Manifest spinoff series, titled Arrivals: A New Manifest Mystery, is “coming soon to Netflix.” According to the X post, the show is “set in the Manifest universe” and “reunites the original creative team: Jeff Rake, Laura Putney, and Margaret Easley.” The Tudum article on the upcoming release shares considerably more information, including that the show will focus on “a new cast of characters and uncharted storylines.” Presumably, this means that beloved stars of the original show Josh Dallas and Melissa Roxburgh will likely not be returning for Arrivals (although it’s always possible that they will have a cameo).

It will be fascinating to see what direction this new show takes, particularly because part of the issue with the original show was that, much like Lost, the series had innumerable fascinating ideas but frequently didn’t effectively tie up loose ends. In part, that may very well be a byproduct of the show switching hands right at the very end, but hopefully, Arrivals will manage to create a series that feels a bit more cohesive—although, undoubtedly, fans of the original show will be excited and watching either way.

If You Like Manifest, You’ll Love This Epic Sci-Fi Thriller By The Show’s Creator