8 Years on, Canceled Sci-Fi Creator Breaks Silence on Paramount’s Lost Spinoff of Cult Movie

by

The creator of the new show based on the popular sci-fi movie is now explaining why it was cancelled. Even though the writing team was complete and the first script was finished, changes at Peacock led to the show never being made, disappointing both fans and the people who worked on it.

The 2018 film Upgrade tells the story of Grey Trace, who is left paralyzed and loses his wife in a violent attack. He’s given a second chance when a tech billionaire offers him an experimental cure: an artificial intelligence implant called STEM. The implant not only restores his ability to walk but also grants him enhanced strength and agility, which he uses to hunt down those responsible for the attack. A television series based on the film was nearly in production, but a change in leadership at Peacock led to its cancellation, as reported by Tim Walsh to Bloody Disgusting.

The News Has Left Fans Unhappy

So, what ever happened with the ‘Upgrade’ TV series? According to showrunner Tim Walsh, they had a writer’s room and completed the scripts. However, a change in leadership at Peacock – someone was fired and replaced – led to the project being re-evaluated by someone who had different ideas.

— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) February 1, 2026

The movie was a huge hit with both critics and audiences, earning an 88% rating on both Rotten Tomatoes scores. It quickly gained a dedicated following, with fans calling it a refreshingly simple, standalone thriller – the kind Hollywood rarely makes anymore. Ironically, that’s exactly what happened when Peacock cancelled the planned continuation of the story from Upgrade, shutting down the writers’ room for the series.

Walsh described the series as focusing on criminals undergoing rehabilitation through the use of a ‘STEM’ chip, comparing it to the film A Clockwork Orange but with a technological twist. He envisioned a mix of body horror, psychological thrills, and classic dystopian science fiction. When news of the show’s cancellation surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), fans expressed their disappointment. One user lamented the lost opportunity to expand on the movie Upgrade, while another highlighted its unrealized potential. However, one X user suggested a more pragmatic reason for the cancellation: “With brain chip technology becoming increasingly likely, it might not be the best time to explore that concept on screen.”

https://comicbook.com/movies/list/5-sci-fi-books-that-would-be-impossible-to-make-into-movies/embed/#

Read More

2026-02-01 22:10