Susan Sarandon’s New Series Has Already Been Canceled

By Chad Langen | Published

We’ve got some sad news for fans who were hoping to see Susan Sarandon and the rest of the cast return for a second season of Fox’s musical drama Monarch. According to ComicBook, the network has opted to cancel the series following dismal ratings. While the show premiered to 3.8 total million total viewers, ratings consistently sank over its subsequent 10 episodes.

Monarch was announced in May 2021, with the show being created and executive produced by Melissa London Hilfers. Four months later, Susan Sarandon was tapped to star in the series. Although it was originally scheduled to premiere in January 2022, Fox delayed the release date to September 11, 2022, due to Covid-19-related issues.

The series, which was canceled after Tuesday’s episode, centered around Dottie Roman (Susan Sarandon), who meets her demise during the series premiere. Throughout the season, her husband Albie (Trace Adkins) struggles to keep the family business afloat with the aid of their children, who have plenty of skeletons hiding in their closets. Their eldest daughter, Nicky Roman (Anna Friel), does all she can to protect the dynasty’s reign in country music while ensuring her own stardom.

Although Monarch featured a star-studded cast and became one of Fox’s most-watched scripted debuts in three years, according to Deadline, it didn’t quite resonate with critics or everyday viewers. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a score of 31% from critics and 27% from traditional audiences. The consensus seems to be that the show is loaded with cliches, and Susan Sarandon isn’t given nearly enough screentime.

Appearing alongside Susan Sarandon on the series were Beth Ditto, Anna Friel, Trace Adkins, and Sarandon’s daughter, Eva Amurri, who played a younger version of Dottie. Speaking of Dottie, Mandy Barnett provided the remarkable singing voice for the character throughout Monarch. Additionally, real-life country artists including Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Tanya Tucker, and Shania Twain made guess appearances on the show.

Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins in Monarch.

Although it’s unfortunate that her run on Monarch has come to an end following the show’s cancelation, Susan Sarandon has several upcoming projects fans can get excited about. Next month, she can be seen in the Michael Jacobs-directed comedy Maybe I Do. She stars alongside an ensemble cast including Richard Gere, Emma Roberts, William H. Macey, and Diane Keaton.

Later in 2023, the Oscar-winning actress is set to appear as Victoria Kord in DC’s hotly anticipated superhero flick Blue Beetle, which just got its first official poster. The film, which was originally planned for a HBO Max debut, will now release in theaters August 18, 2023. In addition to Susan Sarandon, the film stars Xolo Maridueña, George Lopez, Lovell Gates, Jorge Jimenez, and Elpidia Carrillo.

Further out, Susan Sarandon will join Sissy Spacek, Bette Midler, and Megan Mullally in Jocelyn Moorhouse’s comedy The Fabulous Four. The forthcoming picture is currently in pre-production, and no release date has been set at this time. It tells the story of two friends who travel to be bridesmaids in a surprise wedding of their college girlfriend.