Netflix’s action-family dramedy, The Brothers Sun, has been canceled after one season, Deadline reports. The eight-episode series premiered exactly two months ago.
The series from Brad Falchuk (Glee, American Horror Story) and Byron Wu (The Getaway) garnered critical praise, specifically for Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh’s (Gunpowder Milkshake, Tomorrow Never Dies) performance as the central matriarch. However, Deadline reports the series did not capture a large enough audience despite reaching the Top 10 for English-language series. At its best, The Brothers Sun peaked at number two, initially amassing 7 million viewers for five weeks in the Top 10, but those numbers dwindled below 2 million missing Netflix’s standards.
Described as a mix of dark comedy, family soap, and killer action, the series starred a wealth of new faces. According to Deadline, Justin Chien (Continuum, Endless Yesterdays) starred as the lead, Charles Sun, an accomplished killer and member of a Taipei gang. When his father is assassinated, Sun relocates to the States to protect his mother, Yeoh, and his younger brother, Sam Song Li’s (Never Have I Ever, Better Call Saul) Bruce, who is oblivious to the family business. The series also starred Joon Lee (To All the Kevins, Neh) as TK, Alice Hewkin (Sex Education, Rye Lane) as June, Jenny Yang (Last Man Standing, Close the Door) as Xing, Madison Hu (The Boogeyman, Voyagers) as Grace, and Highdee Kuan (Quantum Leap, Proximity) as Alexis.
According to Deadline, Falchuk served as showrunner and executive producer along with Wu, Mikkel Bondesen (Burn Notice, The Good Guys), and Kevin Tancharoen (Fame, Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D.).
This is the second series featuring a majority Asian American cast to be canceled by a major streamer. Disney+ announced American Born Chinese would not return for a second season in January. Based on Gene Leun Yang’s (Dragon Hoops, Boxers & Saints) graphic novel, the series followed Chinese-American teenager Jin Wang as he enters high school. As he struggles with the everyday pressures of being a teen, a chance meeting with a new classmate propels him on a fantastical quest in a world of Chinese mythology. The series also starred The Brothers Sun‘s Yeoh as well as her Everything Everywhere All At Once costars, Key Huy Quan (Loki, The Goonies), and Stephanie Hsu (Joy Ride, The Fall Guy).
All eight episodes of The Brothers Sun are available on Netflix.