Fans of Netflix's historical drama "Marco Polo" were treated to 10 new episodes last month, continuing the epic adventure set in the Mongol Empire. However, the show looks like it is headed downhill, with prospects of a third season already dimming.
According to Movie News Guide, "Marco Polo" may not get a third season due to poor ratings. While the first season of the drama was received well by both fans and critics, the second one was less warmly received and reportedly did not live up to expectations. The ratings of "Marco Polo" Season 2 reportedly dropped considerably compared to the show's first season.
Another factor that may prompt Netflix to no longer push through with "Marco Polo" Season 3 is its production cost. As evidenced by similar shows like HBO's "Game of Thrones," epic series takes a lot of money to produce, especially when it comes to location preparation, costumes, casting and production design.
Netflix is reportedly only willing to spend a small budget for "Marco Polo" Season 3, making the show's cast and crew apprehensive of working on the next episodes with very little money.
Another route that "Marco Polo" Season 3 may take, according to a separate report from Movie News Guide, is a major reformatting. It has been reported that one of the main stars of "Marco Polo," Benedict Wong, will no longer reprise his role as Kublai Khan if the show will be renewed for another season. There are rumours that Wong's character died at the end of the second season.
What direction will "Marco Polo" Season 3 possibly take? There are speculations that the third season, if it indeed happens, will likely focus on the storyline of Prester John, the legendary Christian patriarch and king popular in European chronicles who was introduced in the second season.
