Watch the full trailer for Netflix’s Sense8 finale
David Farnor | On 17, May 2018
“What is human? An ability to reason, to imagine, to love or grieve?” That’s the question asked by the finale of Sense8, as Netflix’s ambitious sci-fi epic returns for one last outing.
Together until the end, the finale promises with a new trailer – our first proper look at what the last ever chapter in the Sense8 saga has in store.
Co-created by Lana Wachowski, the series explores the globe-trotting premise of strangers sharing a psychic connection and being hunted down because of it. It turned out to be too extravagant, though, as Netflix decided that the show’s budget was too big to continue: after Season 2, it joined the growing club of Netflix originals cancelled by the streaming service. A campaign for fans led to a surprise renewal for a one-off farewell, which sees seven of the Sensates team up to rescue the eighth.
You can see the result on Friday 8th June. Here’s the trailer:
The Sense8: Series Finale is available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.
Netflix unveils Sense8 finale date and poster
25th April 2018
Netflix’s Sense8 will return one last time this June, the streaming giant has confirmed.
Co-created by Lana Wachowski, the sci-fi epic was one of the most original things on television in the last few years, with its extravagant, globe-trotting premise of strangers sharing a psychic connection and being hunted down because of it. It turned out to be too extravagant, though, as Netflix decided that the show’s budget was too big to continue: after Season 2, it joined the growing club of Netflix originals cancelled by the streaming service.
Until, that is, a campaign from fans led to a surprise renewal for a special to give the series a proper send-off.
Shooting completed on the special last year, and now, Netflix has finally confirmed the release date for Sense8’s final finale: Friday 8th June. The two-hour episode also has its own poster, promising fans the characters will be “together until the end”. Excuse for a moment, because we might have something in our eye…
Never seen Sense8? Catch up with our reviews here.
Netflix peeks behind-the-scenes with Sense8 finale trailer
10th December 2017
“I’m proud to be part of this and give them an end that will satisfy them,” says Max Riemelt, who plays Wolfgang and Sense8.
Neflix’s sci-fi epic has been one of the most original things on television in the last few years, until Netflix decided that the show’s budget was too big to continue: after Season 2, it joined the growing club of Netflix originals cancelled by the streaming service.
Luckily, though, a campaign from fans led to a surprise renewal for a two-hour special to give the series a proper send-off. Now, with shooting having recently completed on the feature-length one-off, Netflix has released a behind-the-scenes video giving us a glimpse of just how beloved the show has become. The cast and crew reflect on their own attachment to the show, while also marvelling at the consistent crowds of fans lining the streets wherever the show went to film.
The Sense8 finale will be released at some point in 2018. Here’s the new video:
Filming finishes on Sense8 finale
24th November 2017
Filming has now finished on Netflix’s Sense8 finale, and director Lana Wachowski stayed true to the show’s signature style of filmmaking right until the very end.
The Netflix sci-if epic has been one of the most original things on television in the last few years, with its extravagant, globe-trotting premise of strangers sharing a psychic connection and being hunted down because of it. It turned out to be too extravagant, though, as Netflix decided that the show’s budget was too big to continue: after Season 2, it joined the growing club of Netflix originals cancelled by the streaming service.
A campaign from fans led to a surprise renewal for a two-hour special to give the series a proper send-off. This month, shooting wrapped on the programme’s finale, with star Jamie Clayton tweeting to announce the end of filming.
“I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to finish this story. Thank you #sensies for all the love and support!” she wrote. “You’re gonna LOVE the finale!”
That originality extends behind the screen too, revealed Wachowski, speaking at the Camerimage Film Fest. Speaking at the Poland festival, she said that sibling Lilly and her would normally work in the studio, but after Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending, Sense8 has seen them evolve their approach to something much more spontaneous.
“We had no idea what was going to happen,” she said of their production plan, which saw them go off-the-cuff in epic shoots around the world, using natural lighting and locations they stumbled upon to steer a more fluid approach.
DoP John Toll, who coordinated the shoots, said local assistants brought in were “kind of in shock”.
“We knew what we were doing, but nobody else did,” he explained to Variety.
“[They were] really happy to see us arrive – and really happy to see us leave,” he added.
That included shooting orgies on public land before the police could arrive at 6am, filming in real night clubs and incorporating street crowds. The finale wrapped in Naples, with Toll once again keeping the crew flexible – although the budget did not allow the show to return to any of the eight psychic characters’ homes around the world.
Wachowksi, who would virtually attach herself to Steadicam operator Daniele Massaccesi, would be followed by a second camera to get any cover shots that might have been missed.
“Directing became closer and closer to the process of writing,” she said, noting that the improvised shoots freaked out some of the actors, but the key performers soon adapted and embraced the idea of doing scenes without specific marks or rehearsals.
The cast have certainly not held back in their enthusiasm for the finale on social media.
“Best crew, best cast, fiercest fandom ever!” posted Freema Agyeman on Instagram.
And I'm wrapped. That's #Sense8 done. Grateful to have been a part of it and lived the experience. End of a mad adventure.
— Tina Desai (@tinadesai07) November 12, 2017
Últimas 2 semanas del rodaje de 🎬 #sense8 finale. #lanawachowski ha escrito un desenlace espectacular!#comidasconcocacola @cocacola_esp pic.twitter.com/fhZsj1FWq7
— MiguelAngelSilvestre (@ma_silvestre) October 21, 2017
Last day of filming. Deep breaths. @sense8
— Brian J. Smith (@BrianJacobSmith) November 12, 2017
There is no release date for the Sense8 finale yet.
Sense8 gets a Season 3 renewal offer… from xHamster
22nd August 2017
Sense8 just got an official offer to renew the series permanently. The offer, though, comes not from Netflix, but from another, altogether more unexpected place: adult site xHamster.
The Netflix original show was cancelled earlier this year, as the streaming giant struggled to balance the sci-fi epic’s audience with its budget. Outcry from a large number of fans, though, eventually convinced Netflix to renew the series for a two-hour special to bid farewell properly. With co-creator Lana Wachowski since announcing that she’s writing a full Season 3 anyway, just in case, xHamster hopes that it could be the place to make it happen.
“Ever since we read about the cancellation, we’ve been wondering if there was something we could do,” the site wrote in a letter posted on its blog (spotted by Crave). “xHamster is currently one of the most trafficked websites on the internet,” it argues. “We get more visitors daily than the New York Times, ESPN or the Daily Mail. In short, we have the eyeballs, and the revenue. Unlike with Netflix, you wouldn’t be competing for part of our production budget — it would be yours.”
“We know that a series about polymorphous perversity is a hard sell for a mainstream network like Netflix,” it adds, also noting that xHamster has “a long history of fighting for the rights of sexual speech and non-normative sexuality”.
“We know we’re an unlikely home,” it concludes, “but five years ago, people laughed at the idea of Netflix producing original series. We think that our time, like yours, has come.”
The offer marks an unprecedented move in the TV industry, but also highlights just how quickly the disrupting Netflix has become perceived as part of the mainstream media – and makes you wonder just how much crossover appeal there could be between Sense8 and xHamster’s normal viewews.
Lana Wachowski is writing Season 3 of Sense8
8th August 2017
Lana Wachowski is writing Season 3 of Sense8, even though it may not actually happen.
The Netflix sci-if epic has been one of the most original things on television in the last few years, with its extravagant, globe-trotting premise of strangers sharing a psychic connection and being hunted down because of it. It turned out to be too extravagant, though, as Netflix decided that the show’s budget was too big to continue: after Season 2, it joined the growing club of Netflix originals cancelled by the streaming service.
A campaign from fans led to a surprise renewal for a two-hour special to give the series a proper send-off. Now, though, Lana has revealed that she’s writing the whole third run anyway.
Speaking as part of a Facebook Live Q&A at Vancouver Pride this weekend, she told cast members Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt and Brian J. Smith that she was hard at work, hoping that the fan support could still somehow make the project happen the way it was initially envisioned.
“Because she believes so much in the fans, that they’re going to actually go out and create so many more fans, Lana’s actually going ahead and writing the entire Season 3,” she said, jokingly referring to herself in third person. You can see the whole thing here around the 16 minute mark, or someone on Twitter kindly recorded the remark:
She is fighting for us. We have to fight for her. And for them. #sense8season3 https://t.co/YPYwB4a5xN
— sense8 dailys (@sense8dailys) August 6, 2017
Whether Season 3 is possible or not is another matter entirely – her passing comment is far from an official announcement – although the streaming service has already surprised fans once. Lana described the show’s semi-renewal as “unbelievable”, adding that she had “never seen anything like it”.
Her comments arrive just in time for the two-year anniversary of the show, with an announcement being teased for today. Any word on a full third season, though, would likely have leaked by now – or would’ve have been mentioned more explicitly by Lana during her comments above. Either way, it confirms that hope is still out there for a full Sense8 Season 3 – at the very least, fans should have some cool scripts to read.
Sense8 will return for one final episode
29th June 2017
Sense8 will return for one final episode.
The sci-if epic, which was created by Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas) and J. Michael Straczynski (World War Z), is a one-of-kind epic, which won over fans with its earnest heart, globe-trotting scale and bonkers imagination. The show centres around eight characters, all from different parts of the world, who experience a shared violent vision. From that moment, they are connected telepathically, able to see and talk to each other as though they’re in the same place, with access to each other’s deepest secrets.
It was cancelled last month, following the release of its second season. The unexpected news prompted an outpouring complaints and petitions from disappointed fans wanting the series to come back. Netflix responded to the campaigns for its resurrection, apologising and confirming that the show would still be cancelled – joining The Get Down on Netflix’s list of axed originals, as the streaming service faces the challenge of balancing a growing number of shows of all sizes and budgets with its desire to commission new material.
Now, though, Netflix has responded once more to the petitions – and, against all the odds, it has commissioned a final episode to give the show a chance to conclude properly.
Writing in a letter posted on Twitter, the show’s creators acknowledged that Netflix “love the show as much as we do, but the numbers have always been challenging”, and thanked the fans for their response to its cancellation, which was “beyond what anyone was expecting”.
“In this works it is easy to believe that you cannot make a difference; that when a government or an institution or corporation makes a decision, there is something irrevocable about the decision; that love is always less important than the bottom line,” added the statement.
“But here is a gift from the fans of this show that I will carry forever in my heart: while it is often true those decisions are irreversible, it is not always true.”
Sense8’s two-hour final special will be released next year.
Death doesn't let you say goodbye. 2 hour finale episode in the works. Tell your cluster. pic.twitter.com/GHZgGuHwS0
— Sense8 (@sense8) June 29, 2017
Still cancelled: Netflix responds to Sense8 petition
10th June 2017
After the news that Sense8 has not been renewed for a third season, multiple petitions were launched to get Netflix to reconsider. There is good news and bad news for fans of The Wachowskis’ epic sci-fi series. The good news? Netflix has listened and responded to the campaign. The bad news? The show is still cancelled.
Brian J. Smith, who plays Will Gorski in the show, supported the calls to #RenewSense8. While fan campaigns can be effective, with NBC deciding to renew Timeless after cancelling it, following a big push from disappointed fans, the streaming service refused to reverse its decision.
Why was Sense8 cancelled? The main reason appears to be numbers, judging by comments made by Smith in a letter posted online to fans.
“Guys, there are no secrets here. I’ve been given the same reason for the cancelation that you have: viewership,” he wrote. “As far as I’m aware there is no shady court intrigue that contributed to Netflix’s decision, and I know that a lot of very smart people had to reach a consensus in order to pull the plug on a show that they had already invested an insane amount of capital in, even if that meant the story would never get an ending. I think the saddest part of finishing a show this way is knowing that future audiences will never pick up a story they know has no resolution. It’s seems like such a waste.”
He added: “Do you remember when I tweeted on May 30, in response to a fan’s concern that the show might get canceled, “This might be a good time to start making some noise”? I had a pretty clear idea by that point that Netflix had made their move, and I also knew from previous experience that once a cancellation is announced there is no going back. It is absolutely final, and the fans are left feeling helpless and angry. I stepped out of my lane and preempted the official announcement because you, our cluster, deserved to have your voices heard. And you came roaring back in a way I wasn’t expecting. It was beyond awesome. I guarantee you, you were seen and you were heard.
“Please know that the fight you all put up in trying to save something that you loved will forever be the “final season” of Sense8. YOU have given the show the ending it deserved. Even if that fight didn’t have a happy ending, it meant something. Don’t ever forget that.”
Smith also praised Netflix producers Peter, Cindy and Tara for their support of the programme.
“Netflix is a relatively young enterprise and these kinds of growing pains suck. But please remember that they made this strange, gorgeous, unconventional show possible in the first place, and the show would have continued if only the viewership justified the expense. It may not seem fair in the face of such passionate fan backlash, but it always, ALWAYS boils down to numbers.”
Netflix posted on the show’s official Facebook page:
“To our Sense8 family… We’ve seen the petitions. We’ve read the messages. We know you want to #RenewSense8, and we wish we could #BringBackSense8 for you. The reason we’ve taken so long to get back to you is because we’ve thought long and hard here at Netflix to try to make it work but unfortunately we can’t. Thank you for watching and hope you’ll stay close with your cluster around the world. #SensatesForever”
The programme’s cancellation followed a similar decision by Netflix to axe The Get Down, another of its most expensive original series. Both calls came after CEO Reed Hastings commented in an interview that Netflix should have a higher cancellation rate so that it can take more risks with its content, with shows such as 13 Reasons Why an example of those risks paying off.
As for Sense8, two seasons and a Christmas special are still available to watch on Netflix, spanning 13 countries, a uniquely diverse cast and a dazzling blend of emotion and action.
“Spectacular, stylish, and entirely human, Sense8’s assured second season is blossoming into a wholly unique sci-fi masterpiece,” we wrote of the programme’s bold sophomore run. Still haven’t seen Sense8? You can catch up with our reviews here.
Sense8 cancelled by Netflix
1st June 2017
Sense8 has been officially cancelled by Netflix.
The sci-fi thriller, which was created by Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas) and J. Michael Straczynski (World War Z), is a one-of-kind epic, which won over fans with its earnest heart, globe-trotting scale and bonkers imagination. The show centres around eight characters, all from different parts of the world, who experience a shared violent vision. From that moment, they are connected telepathically, able to see and talk to each other as though they’re in the same place, with access to each other’s deepest secrets.
The show returned for Season 2 last month, with returning cast members including Doona Bae, who also starred in The Wachowskis’ Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending. However, now, Netflix has confirmed that the programme will not return for a third season.
Cindy Holland, VP Netflix original content, announced the news in a statement today: “After 23 episodes, 16 cities and 13 countries, the story of the Sense8 cluster is coming to an end. It is everything we and the fans dreamed it would be: bold, emotional, stunning, kick ass, and outright unforgettable. Never has there been a more truly global show with an equally diverse and international cast and crew, which is only mirrored by the connected community of deeply passionate fans all around the world. We thank Lana, Lilly, Joe and Grant for their vision, and the entire cast and crew for their craftsmanship and commitment.”
The surprise move is out of the ordinary for Netflix, which has a history of renewing most of its original seasons. It follows the similarly unexpected decision not to renew The Get-Down and Bloodline, and the less unexpected decision not to renew Marco Polo. Never seen Sense8? You can catch up with our reviews here.
Sense8 Season 2 trailer promises war
10th April 2017
“This is not a game. This is war.” That’s the sound of Sense8 returning for a second season – and this time, it’s not pulling any punches.
From Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas) and J. Michael Straczynski (World War Z), Sense8 centres around eight characters, all from different parts of the world, who experience a shared violent vision. From that moment, they are connected, able to see and talk to each other as though they were in the same place, with access to each other’s deepest secrets.
Sensates by their nature, though, are a threat to secrecy – and that means that while the group must adapt to their new abilities (and to each other), they must also fight for their survival. In Season 2, dark forces continue to track them all. What is BPO, the secret organisation searching for their cluster? And can the Sensates band together to stay alive – and start to hunt their hunters?
The second season of Netflix’s sci-fi thriller certainly looks like it means business, with the new trailer for the sophomore run full of stunning spectacle, globe-trotting landscapes and, of course, some serious conflict.
All episodes of Sense8’s second season premiere on Friday 5th May. Here’s the video – or read on for Season 2’s new poster.
Netflix unveils new images for Sense8 Season 2
24th February 2017
After its seasonal special last Christmas, Sense8 Season 2 is drawing closer. Now, we have our first look at what’s in store, with a string of new images from Netflix.
Picking up where Season 1 left off, the second run of The Wachowskis’ series will see Capheus, Kala, Lito, Nomi, Riley, Sun, Will and Wolfgang come together, both physically and mentally, as they are plunged into the middle of each other’s tragedies and triumphs.
On the run from Whispers, and forced to question their very identity, it’s a matter of survival, as the Sensates must find a way to live with, understand and protect one another against all odds.
Season 2 will premiere on Friday 5th May in all territories where Netflix is available.
Read on for the photos – or head this way to read our Sense8 Christmas special review.
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Sense8 Christmas special trailer released
17th December 2016
Nothing says Christmas like a bunch of strangers becoming telepathically connected through a shared violent vision. Netflix clearly thinks so, as it’s commissioned a festival special from The Wachowskis’ Sense8.
The two-hour episode, announced last month, continues the journey of these eight singular hearts and minds weaving in and out of each other’s lives.
The Christmas special will be released on Netflix globally on Friday 23rd December, before Season 2 premieres on Friday 5th May 2017. Season 2 picks up where Season 1 left off, as Capheus (Toby Onwumere), Kala (Tina Desai), Lito (Miguel Angel Silvestre), Nomi (Jamie Clayton), Riley (Tuppence Middleton) , Sun (Donna Bae), Will (Brian J. Smith) and Wolfgang (Max Riemelt) come together both physically and mentally, plunged into the middle of each other’s tragedies and triumphs.
Here’s the trailer:
People coming together to find deeper connections, learn more truths about each other and struggle to identify with more than just themselves? Maybe a Sense8 Christmas special does make sense after all. At least, it does when you hear Lana Wachowski explain it:
Never seen Sense8? Catch up with our reviews of Season 1 here.
Sense8 will return for a Christmas special before Season 2
4th December 2016
Sense8 will return for a Christmas special this December before Season 2.
Netflix’s original sci-fi, created by The Wachowskis, follows eight strangers around the world, who experienced a violent vision followed by the ability to connect with each other’s thoughts, actions and emotions. The result was a globe-trotting epic, shooting in Nairobi, Chicago, Reykjavik, Seoul, Berlin, Mumbai, and London.
“Sense8 does a passable job of creating tension and action, as it always has, but thrives where a chance to explore true emotion presents itself,” we wrote in our review of the final episodes of Season 1. “Delving into a variety of cultures and struggles, the show works far better as an exploration of the human, than the superhuman.”
It was soon after that the streaming service announced that it had renewed the show for a second run. Now, though, fans won’t have to wait long for their next dose of emotional sci-fi action: Sense8 will return for a seasonal special later this month.
Just in time for Christmas, the two-hour episode will premiere on 23rd December.
“The journey continues as these eight singular hearts and minds weave in and out of each other’s lives finding deeper connections, learning darker, more desperate secrets about one another and struggling to identify with more than just oneself,” reads the official description for the one-off outing, which makes it sound incredibly festive.
Our story continues.
A Christmas Special: December 23.
10 new episodes: May 5, 2017.
— Sense8 (@sense8) December 3, 2016
Netflix broke the news last night, but its Christmas presents to Sense8 viewers weren’t over yet, with an additional announcement that Sense8 Season 2 will premiere on Friday 5th May 2017.