The waiting game continues for the Manifest fandom as they hope and pray for renewal news, or any signs that the missing plane drama will at least get a two-hour wrap up movie. With the series’ continued reign on Netflix, talks have reportedly restarted between the streamer, NBC, and Manifest’s studio Warner Bros. And believe it or not, creator Jeff Rake is keeping iconic Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams in mind while waiting alongside fans.
Jeff Rake recently discussed Manifest’s surprise streaming success and the possibility of the future of the series. During his chat with AllYourScreens, Rake brought up baseball movie Field of Dreams, and he's taken one key element from the classic Kevin Costner movie to heart while he waits in anticipation for renewal news:
One of my favorite movies is Field Of Dreams, and we both remember the mantra, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ So there is a little bit of reckless optimism going on here, and I have just set out to keep the conversation alive. A lot of the actors, as well as a number of fans have been engaging in the conversation with me. I have seen enough Cinderella story endings over the years with other shows. A show is canceled, and then due to overwhelming popularity in reruns or a platform or social media engagement, either a third-party studio or a third-party network stepped in and created a number of new episodes or a movie or kept the show going. I've seen it happen often enough that I have to ask myself, ‘Why not Manifest?’ Here we are a month, almost five weeks after the cancelation announcement, and more people than ever are watching the show.
Those who have seen Field of Dreams know just how powerful that mantra is. I mean, if it worked for Kevin Costner, who's to say it can't work for Manifest, right?
Plenty of shows have come back from cancellation due to fan campaigns. Both Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Lucifer were cancelled by Fox, and both found new homes on NBC and Netflix, respectively. Also, NBC had cancelled Timeless initially after its first season, before reversing their decision just a day later. The network then cancelled the series again after the second season but gave the show a finale movie to wrap things up. So it's highly possible the same thing can happen to Manifest, especially when you consider how many new fans the show has gained, thanks to Netflix.
Since the first two seasons of Manifest dropped on Netflix last month, the series has been doing exceptionally well on the streamer. It came up short of hitting a major milestone on the platform but has still remained toward the top of trending since being bumped out of its #1 spot. Fans, Rake and the cast are determined to keep the Lifeboat going, and they clearly aren’t going down without a fight. Following the third season’s twist-filled finale, “Manifesters” will surely stop at nothing to get the answers they desire. Regardless of whether that happens with a fourth season or a concluding movie, a new project will be worth it as long as it solves the neverending mystery of Flight 828.
