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‘Wynonna Earp’ Season 4 In Limbo, Despite Greenlight From SYFY

Twitter followers of the show “Wynonna Earp” demonstrated the power of a scared fanbase over the last 24 hours, as issues involving the production company IDW may affect the return of the show for a fourth season.

The SYFY paranormal drama, which features the demon-hunting descendant of Wyatt Earp, has become a fan favorite for its inclusive storytelling (including a long-running lesbian romance) and quick wit. “Earp” was renewed by SYFY for a fourth season in July 2018, as revealed during the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel. However, Deadline reported Friday that IDW at this time “cannot proceed with production on a fourth season.”

The “Earp” cast, along with creator Emily Andras, are quite active on social media, and Thursday afternoon a series of comments on Twitter indicated that fans might have reason to be concerned about the show’s future. Andras initially commented on Twitter that fans might need to get ready to “fight for the show” — her original tweet was deleted, but a follow-up tweet declared:

This was because the hashtag #FightForWynonna had begun trending online almost immediately, with fans expressing their love for the show and fear that it might join the ranks of “Shadowhunters” and “American Vandal” as prematurely canceled. And series star Melanie Scrofano wasn’t able to allay any fears, replying to a fan that “I don’t know anything, unfortunately. All we know is we aren’t shooting right now and don’t know why.”

Friday, a representative from the network stated that “SYFY ordered Season 4 of Wynonna Earp from IDW and is completely committed to the series. This has not changed.”

According to an official statement from IDW, “We wanted to share that IDW is committed to continuing to tell the ‘Wynonna Earp’ story. Much like the fans, we are passionate about not only the series, but the comics, the characters and the overall message that the ‘Wynonna Earp’ franchise carries. We are in the process of working out the details for how the ‘Wynonna’ story will continue and will share new details very soon.”

In market filings published by Business Insider and picked up by The Mary Sue, IDW Media disclosed “due to broadened production costs and necessary operating costs,” it would be seeking financial assistance. One show mentioned as a cause was “Earp,” as:

Based upon renewal options exercised by SyFy Network, IDWE has been self-financing production costs for seasons four and five (each 12 episodes) of this award-winning series. IDWE is seeking foreign sales to recoup its anticipated net investment; SyFy Network’s license fees for domestic rights only cover approximately half of IDWE’s costs.

“Earp” is a two-time GLAAD award nominee for Outstanding Drama Series, and in November 2018, “Earp” was named the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2018 at the People’s Choice Awards, beating out shows such as “The Expanse” and “Supernatural.” Time and time again, the fans of the show have proven their ability to support it.

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