'The Get Down' Is Cancelled

The Netflix show about hip-hop's pre-history is no more.

Actor Justice Smith, Baz Luhrmann and Nas attend 'The Get Down' Part 2 Party
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Actor Justice Smith, Baz Luhrmann and Nas attend 'The Get Down' Part 2 New York Kickoff Party

Actor Justice Smith, Baz Luhrmann and Nas attend 'The Get Down' Part 2 Party

Baz Luhrmann's Netflix series about the origins of hip-hop, The Get Down, has been canceled after one season, reports Deadline. Luhrmann himself seemed to confirm the news in a Facebook post, where he said it is "unlikely" that the show will go back into production.

Luhrmann explained that he was committed to directing a film, and had already delayed it for two years in order to create The Get Down. His lack of direct involvement in the show going forward, he said, was "a sticking point" for Netflix and Sony. 

"[T]he simple truth is, I make movies," he wrote. "And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life."

You can see the director's complete statement below:

The Get Down told a fictionalized account of hip-hop's origins, but it employed many real-life figures of the era as consultants, some of whom Luhrmann thanked in his statement. Grandmaster Flash, who also appears as a character in the series, was heavily involved. He even coached the actor who played his younger self. Flash's former Furious Five groupmate Rahiem also worked with the cast, and Nelson George, who has written about hip-hop since its very beginnings, was a producer on the project. Kool Herc was on board, as were hip-hop dance pioneer Willie "Marine Boy" Estrada and graffiti legends John "Crash" Matos and Chris "Daze" Ellis. Also playing a big part was Nas, who wrote and voiced rhymes for the show's narrator. 

The Get Down was reportedly the most expensive Netflix show ever, costing around $120 million. 

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