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HBO will not be proceeding with a second season of Run, its romantic comedic thriller starring Domhnall Gleeson and Merritt Wever.
The decision comes month and a half after the series, from creator/executive producer/showrunner Vicky Jones, ended its seven-episode first season on HBO. It followed lengthy back-and-forth discussions about a potential second installment, which included possibly moving production to Los Angeles.
“After exploring potential ways of continuing Ruby and Billy’s journey, together with showrunner Vicky Jones, we have come to the decision that we will not be moving forward with a second season of Run,” HBO said in a statement.
Written by Jones, Run centered on Ruby (Wever), a woman living a humdrum existence who one day gets a text inviting her to fulfill a youthful pact, promising true love and self-reinvention, by stepping out of her life to take a journey across the U.S. with her oldest flame (Gleeson).
Their end goal was to reach Los Angeles, and in the Season 1 finale Billy and Ruby finally arrived at their destination. But the finale ended on a cliffhanger, with Ruby finding out that their romantic trip was all part of a book deal experiment Billy had. When he processes his life for her at L.A.’s Union station, Ruby silently walks away to her husband and kids.
“We would love, love, love to keep going and keep running. I certainly have a thousand ideas,” Jones told Deadline after the Season 1 finale. She would not reveal how the cliffhanger would be resolved but hinted at her plans for the Season 2 storyline. “It’s called Run, and so the show has forward momentum. We can’t just sit still in the story.”
The understated Run was well received, earning 80% “fresh” Rotten Tomatoes rating. It quickly developed a following and, in a recent “Most popular HBO comedy show in each US state” study conducted by OnBuy.com, Run tied veteran Curb Your Enthusiasm at the top of the list as being the most popular HBO half-hour in 15 states.
Entertainment One produced Run, with Jones and her frequent collaborator, Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, executive producing via DryWrite, and Emily Leo for Wigwam. Kate Dennis directed the pilot and executive produced. Waller-Bridge had a recurring arc in Season 1; she was not expected to be back as an actress in a potential second season.
