Netflix’s Horizon Zero Dawn series reportedly scrapped after allegations against Umbrella Academy showrunner

Netflix’s Horizon Zero Dawn show is reportedly no longer going forward after a string of allegations surrounding planned showrunner Steve Blackman. 

Netflix and series owner Sony first announced plans to adapt Aloy’s nearish future escapades last year in a live-action series featuring probably wonky CGI for the starring dinosaur robots. Casting news, details, and even a title were all under wraps, but we did know that Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman would be leading the project, rumored to have been called Horizon 2074.

Rolling Stone’s Cheyenne Roundtree now reports that the Horizon Zero Dawn series has been scrapped, alongside another original series that Blackman was developing with the streamer, after allegations that he created a chaotic and toxic workplace. Yesterday’s Rolling Stone report states that twelve former staff members accuse the showrunner of a “long history of toxic, bullying, manipulative, and retaliatory behavior” in the workplace, while Blackman’s spokesperson says the claims are “entirely untrue” and “completely absurd.” Neither Netflix nor Sony have commented on the situation or the state of the Horizon TV show. 

Horizon’s live-action hopes might be shakey at the moment, but last year developer Guerrilla Games assured that the series is “going to be continuing it for a very long while” after 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn and 2022’s sequel Horizon Forbidden West. And those aren’t just empty promises. Brick-based spin-off Lego Horizon Adventures is set to come out sometime this year; Guerrilla Games has been working on an online offshoot for the dinosaur-tamer, which is separate from the long-rumored Horizon MMO that’s been floating about as a whisper for years. 

Check out our Lego Horizon Adventures preview to see what makes it work so damn well.