Netflix's canceled Warrior Nun is getting revived with movie trilogy

(Image credit: Netflix)

Warrior Nun is officially back from the dead. The Netflix fantasy drama may have met an untimely end when it was canceled by Netflix after two seasons, but you can’t keep a good nun down, apparently. This time, Warrior Nun is set to return not as a series, but as a trilogy of feature films.

But there's a major caveat. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Warrior Nun movies won't be on Netflix. There's no confirmation just yet as to when or where they will appear instead — whether they are released theatrically, on VOD or on another streaming service.

Warrior Nun is a live-action adaptation of Ben Dunn’s fantasy comic book series, which ran on Netflix for two seasons. Alba Baptista stars as Ava Silva, an average teen who returns from the dead to find herself tasked with protecting Earth from droves of demons.

"I need to start by thanking all of you loyal fans," he said. "It’s because of you and your incredible energy that we keep pushing forward to make these stories. You guys really make it all worthwhile. So thank you so much for your continued support."

Further details about the show’s movie-centric return remain limited at this point, which English attributed to the ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild. It'll likely be some time before fans hear more about the new films.

#SaveWarriorNun and fan backlash

Netflix's decision to cancel Warrior Nun after its second season, which dropped in July 2020, sparked intense disappointment among fans. Though it held strong for three weeks on Netflix’s worldwide Top 10 list for English-language TV series, Netflix ultimately cancelled the show in December 2022.

The abrupt axing didn't sit well with fans, who mounted a fervent effort to revive the show. While some viewers just wanted to see the storyline play out in its entirety, a swath of others accused Netflix of sweeping another show with "sapphic representation" under the rug.

The first season teased a relationship between Ava and warrior Sister Beatrice (Kristina Tonteri-Young), which was just beginning to blossom in the second season. Without another season to allow the couple to grow, the pairing ultimately hit a dead end.

Backlash quickly mounted and turned into passionate social media advocacy under the hashtag #SaveWarriorNun, which raised money via GoFundMe and other public campaigns to purchase billboards.

Their determination and hard work paid off. Late last month, series creator Simon Barry credited this powerful and vocal fan campaign as a pivotal factor in breathing new life into the show. In a June 28 tweet, Barry announced, “Today I’m happy to officially report that because of your combined voices, passion, and amazing efforts — Warrior Nun will return and is going to be more EPIC than you could imagine. More details to come! SOON! Thank you!!”

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Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over 13 years for publications including Tom's Guide, MTV, Rolling Stone, CNN, Popular Science, Playboy, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, and more. She's also appeared as a panelist at video game conventions like PAX East and PAX West and has coordinated social media for companies like CNET. When she's not writing or gaming, she's looking for the next great visual novel in the vein of Saya no Uta. You can follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake.