Manifest might manifest another season for canceled NBC drama

Somebody is finally paying attention to how well Manifest is doing on Netflix: EW has learned that there is new interest in bringing back the supernatural drama.

A source close to the show tells EW that they are "working on a number of things" to satiate fans who were disappointed by NBC's decision to cancel the 3-year-old series in June. That could mean a return to the network that first launched the series from creator Jeff Rake in 2018, or Manifest could start anew on Netflix, which has seen the high-concept drama rank among its most-viewed programs for weeks and weeks.

Rake, who told EW last month that he's already sketching out a proper finale, is keeping relatively mum on Twitter, other than posting fingers-crossed emojis and a message for fans: "if the impossible happens and the dead rise again, it's because of YOU."

Starring Josh Dallas (Once Upon a Time) and Melissa Roxburgh (Valor), Manifest told the story of a group of passengers on a flight that mysteriously disappeared for five years during its return to the U.S., though no extra time passed on the plane. The season 3 finale left a number of unanswered questions, like how Angelina (Holly Taylor) kidnapped baby Eden and killed Grace (Athena Karkanis), which caused the entire plane to disappear. There was also the sudden appearance of Captain Daly (Frank Deal) in the cockpit before it vanished; Cal (Jack Messina) touching the tail fin and disappearing, but then returning five and a half years older; and Jared (J.R. Ramirez) learning that Saanvi (Parveen Kaur) killed the Major (Elizabeth Marvel) and Vance (Daryl Edwards) covered it up.

"Back in the day, I laid out a six-season roadmap for NBC, and I'm halfway through," Rake previously told EW. "I had giant cliffhangers in the season 3 finale, so I had every intention to have three more seasons to slow-burn the back half of the story. I'm reading the writing on the wall that we may not find a home for three more seasons of the show, so I moved to plan B: Some platforms would bankroll a feature or a movie finale like we saw with Timeless, Firefly, and Deadwood. I just need a modest budget to tell the story. I am personally sketching out how to consolidate the back half of the series into a much more streamlined, cut-to-the-chase two-hour finale that would distill all of the hanging chads of the series. That's where my head is at. There is a huge appetite for people wanting to know what's that end of the story, what happened to the passengers, what ultimately happened to that airplane."

Related content:

• Manifest creator wants to give fans the finale they deserve
• Manifest grounded as NBC cancels the series after 3 seasons
• Manifest creator is already sketching out a movie finale after show cancellation