'Mindhunter': Will the Netflix Series Be Canceled?

Is Mindhunter canceled? The fate of the fan-favorite crime drama is hanging in limbo after Netflix confirmed Wednesday that the series has been put on hold. After news broke that the cast had been released of their contracts as creator and director David Fincher shifts his focus to other projects, the question remains whether or not Mindhunter will be renewed for Season 3.

Although hope for any future seasons seems to be dimming following the announcement and there are sweeping fears that Mindhunter will follow in the footsteps of other Netflix originals given the ax after just one or two seasons, the fact that it has not yet been canceled despite Fincher's shift in focus could be promising.

The series has proven to be successful among viewers. While Netflix has not released any streaming date for the crime drama, it currently sits at a 9.6/10 rating on IMDb and has a 97 percent average Tomatometer rating among critics and a 95 percent rating among audience members on Rotten Tomatoes. Season 2 alone has a 98 percent rating from critics, who raved about the season, focused on the Atlanta Child Murders, in their reviews.

"Mindhunter is deeper, richer, and more affecting this go round, even as it steers away from studying proven killers," wrote IndieWire's Ben Travers.

"Those who slept on season one should take note; David Fincher is at his full power on Netflix and makes Mindhunter a must-watch," Christopher James of AwardsCircuit.com wrote in his review.

"Atmospheric and chilling as ever - generally without being gory beyond clinical crime scene still photos – Mindhunter remains one of the current era's best series," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Rob Owen wrote.

Initially premiering in October of 2017, the streamer had almost immediately picked up Mindhunter for a second season, making the official announcement in early December of that same year. Season 2 debuted two years later in August of 2019, though rather than getting the green light for a Season 3 pickup, fans were instead greeted in January by more devastating news.

"David is focused on directing his first Netflix film Mank and on producing the second season of Love, Death and Robots," a Netflix rep revealed in a statement. "He may revisit Mindhunter again in the future, but in the meantime felt it wasn't fair to the actors to hold them from seeking other work while he was exploring new work of his own."

The announcement did not necessarily come as a surprise. Back in November it had been reported that the series was "on hold" until further notice after series star Jonathan Groff, who portrays agent Holden Ford, stated such in The Hollywood Reporter profile. At the time, Groff stated that Mindhunter "talk of a third season of Mindhunter is on hold while [David] Fincher focuses on his next feature."

At this time, there is no firm decision made by the streamer. Both Seasons of Mindhunter are available for streaming on Netflix. A third season, should it be renewed, could be pushed back until 2022 or even later.