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The 1970s-set crime drama Duster has been canceled by HBO Max after just one season, Variety has confirmed. The decision comes less than a week after the show’s first season finale aired, cutting short what had been a long road to the screen for the series.
Premiering in May, Duster starred Josh Holloway as a getaway driver working for a rising crime syndicate in the American Southwest. His world is turned upside down by the arrival of a relentless federal agent, played by Rachel Hilson, determined to take the operation down. The show aimed to blend gritty action with period drama, grounded in the chaotic energy of 1970s America.
Despite strong performances and the star power of co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, HBO Max has decided not to move forward with a second season. “While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a second season of Duster, we are so grateful to have had the chance to work with the amazingly talented co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, and our partners at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television,” the streamer said in a statement. “We are tremendously proud of this series led by Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson and we thank them along with our cast and crew for their incredible collaboration and partnership.”
The cancellation marks a significant note in Bad Robot’s overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, which began in 2019. Duster is the only show from that agreement to make it to air on HBO Max. Other projects under the deal, including a Justice League Dark series and a spinoff inspired by The Shining, never moved beyond development. Notably, Batman: Caped Crusader, another Abrams production, was also dropped by HBO Max before being picked up by Amazon Prime Video.
In a separate statement, Warner Bros. Television praised the series: “J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan delivered a thrilling, multi-dimensional crime drama in Duster, with textured characters that took the audience back to the 1970s in a new and innovative way.” The studio added, “We are incredibly proud of the show, and while we wish this journey could continue, we are thankful to our partners at HBO Max for the opportunity to tell Jim and Nina’s story.”
The ensemble cast also included Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez, and Benjamin Charles Watson. The first two episodes were written by Abrams and Morgan, and directed by Steph Green.
