Remember the visceral thrill of Upgrade? The sci-fi flick left many wanting more, and whispers of a sequel swirled. First, it was a movie follow-up. Then, a TV series. Then…silence. What happened?
Tim Walsh, the film’s producer who had signed on to write and showrun the series, recently revealed the project faced a series of unfortunate events before it was shelved.
From Peacock to Purgatory: Inside the Unmade Upgrade Series
Think back to 2019: streaming services were battling for content, and reboots were all the rage. According to Walsh’s interview with BloodyDisgusting, he and Whannell sold the Upgrade show to Peacock. Then, as Walsh put it, the world turned upside down.
He says that the writers room started “on the day the world shut down” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you imagine trying to build a world as chaotic as Upgrade while the real world was in similar disarray? It feels like trying to build a house on shifting sands.
What would the Upgrade TV series have been about?
The premise of the Upgrade show was ambitious. It centered on four criminals, each recently implanted with the STEM chip, in a twisted experiment aimed at reforming them, echoing themes from A Clockwork Orange.
Walsh suggests this concept might have been too risky for the social climate at the time. Shows about police and criminals were “not popular,” likely a reference to the protests against police brutality and the wider conversation around how television portrays law enforcement. This was not merely a hurdle; it was a wall.
The Executive Decision That Killed the Show
Ever been in a situation where someone new comes in and changes everything? Walsh described the ultimate blow to the Upgrade series as something beyond his control.
He stated that the writers were prepared, scripts were ready, but a higher-up at Peacock was fired. The replacement then “came in, thought they knew everything, and dropped the project.” That was the end of Walsh’s involvement.
He openly admits that the cancellation “still hurts.” While he suspects there may have been attempts to revive the series without him, nothing ever came to fruition. However, Walsh remains optimistic about future collaborations with Whannell. Perhaps, one day, he’ll have the opportunity to resurrect the Upgrade show or repurpose elements from it into a new project.
Could the Upgrade TV series still happen?
Given the unpredictable nature of the entertainment industry, it’s not impossible. With streaming services constantly searching for engaging content, a reimagining of the Upgrade concept could find new life. Whether Walsh would be involved remains to be seen.
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Even with the setbacks, the passion for the project remains. Will Upgrade ever get the expanded universe it deserves, or will it remain a brilliant, self-contained story?