Warrior Nun has been brought back to life thanks to the power of fans after it was confirmed the TV show will live on as a movie trilogy.
Viewers of the fantasy drama series were shocked in December when the creator announced Warrior Nun would end with Season 2. There have been many famous examples of fan power bringing TV shows back from the dead, and they once again worked their magic to ensure studios got the message to greenlight the continued adventures of Ava Silva.
Launched in July 2020, Warrior Nun centers on 19-year-old Ava, a quadriplegic orphan who discovers she has supernatural powers as she joins an ancient order of warrior nuns. The TV show was based on the comic book character Warrior Nun Areala by Ben Dunn. Warrior Nun was renewed for a second season which was released in November 2022, but a month later, fans received devastating news that the show had been canned by Netflix.
"I've just found out that @netflix will not be renewing #WarriorNun," show creator Simon Barry wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on December 13, 2022. "My sincere appreciation to all the fans who worked so hard to bring awareness to this series, and for the love you showed me, the cast and the whole production team."
I’ve just found out that @netflix will not be renewing #WarriorNun - my sincere appreciation to all the fans who worked so hard to bring awareness to this series, and for the love you showed me, the cast and the whole production team. It was a privilege to be a part of this. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/eZIBa4tJYm
— Simon Barry (@SimonDavisBarry) December 13, 2022
On July 2, 2023, Barry shared a link to a website called warriornunsaved.com. On August 15, it was revealed by executive producer Dean English that "Warrior Nun is coming back as a trilogy of motion pictures." It is not yet known if Warrior Nun will be shown in cinemas or arrive on a rival streaming service.
Ending the announcement, English credited the fans with making the movie trilogy possible. "I want to say that you guys have made me very, very proud through all your hard work and inspired me all the time to keep going," he wrote.
The brand has a strong presence on social media, with some verified X users adding "Warrior Nun Saved" or "Warrior Nun is Saved" to their screen name. These users were some of the first to comment on Barry's teasing announcement about Warrior Nun back in July.
"After 197 days of fighting and 245 days after the cancellation WE FINALLY GOT THE ANSWER!" @Jereczko97 wrote after the news dropped. "#WarriorNun is coming back as a MOVIE TRILOGY‼️ Not ONE movie, but THREE! We won #HaloBearers! We Won!" The hashtag "HaloBearers" was widely used as a reference to the show, and has been adopted as a term for fans of the show.
The Halo Bearers made plenty of headlines during the show's months of uncertainty. Showrunner Barry highlighted the power of the fans in May by retweeting a Forbes article which highlighted their passion. "Five months after cancellation, Warrior Nun fans won't give up on Season 3" the headline read. "Still making headlines," Barry wrote, using the hashtag #SaveWarriorNun.
Still making headlines. #SaveWarriorNun https://t.co/vJXxGKrHpP
— Simon Barry (@SimonDavisBarry) May 7, 2023
Warrior Nun is the latest in a long line of classic TV shows which have been revived thanks to the fans. Joss Whedon's Firefly, the Wachowski siblings' Sense8 and most recently Dan Harmon's Community were all canceled but revived and finished their stories with a movie thanks to the power of fans.
English has teased that the Warrior Nun trilogy could just be the beginning, suggesting it could be the launch of a universe expanding into linked films and TV shows. He also stated that there is more information to share in terms of casting and writers, but the ongoing Hollywood strikes are preventing him from making those announcements at the moment.
Newsweek has reached out to English and to Netflix representatives for comment.
