Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos breaks silence on ‘Mindhunter’ Season 3 cancellation

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has revealed new details about why the acclaimed crime thriller Mindhunter never returned for a third season.

The series – created by Joe Penhall and executive produced by David Fincher – starred Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany and Anna Torv. It premiered on Netflix in 2017 and ran for two seasons, with the second season arriving in 2019.

Although Mindhunter was placed on indefinite hold in 2020, fans have continued to hope that the series could eventually return and resolve its unfinished story.

Speaking at The Indian Express’ Express Adda event in New Delhi, Sarandos was asked to name a Netflix project he wished had received another season. He singled out Mindhunter.

“We always anticipated there would be a third season,” Sarandos said.

According to Sarandos, the show’s future was affected by Fincher’s decision to focus on other projects, including his 2020 Netflix film Mank. The filmmaker is known for his meticulous approach to production and reportedly did not want to divide his attention between multiple demanding projects.

Fincher had previously offered a different explanation for why Mindhunter was not renewed. In a 2020 interview with Vulture, he described the series as an exhausting production that required extremely long working hours.

The director also pointed to the show’s high production costs compared with its audience size.