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Writer on Netflix's Castlevania series discusses the huge success Season 3 saw, reconfirms Season 4

A top 10 winner
by rawmeatcowboy
22 April 2020
GN Version 5.0

A fourth season of Netflix's Castlevania series was confirmed recently, and it came quite quickly after Season 3 released. This lead many to believe that the series is doing quite well for Netflix, but it seems the show is doing way better than most imagined. Series writer Warren Ellis put together a personal blog sharing some inside info on just how huge Season 3 was, which you can read in full below.

So, we had our Netflix call about the 28-day data on CASTLEVANIA Season 3 last week. And, because Netflix data is protected, I can’t actually tell you all the exact numbers. What I can say is that season 3’s popularity was an order of magnitude over that of season 2, and season 2 was popular enough to get us season 3. It turns out season 3 did, really, shockingly well. Shows tend to show a little attrition in the third season, and it was, quote, “unusual” to see the audience actually rise by a multiple factor.

Season three was in the Netflix Top 10 — not for animation, not for tv, but for all Netflix content — for a week or two in 40 countries. That was huge. Thanks to everyone in the world who posted screenshots of their local Top 10 banner, by the way — all of you joining in to share that made it pretty easy to calculate, and it was wondrous to see them all rolling in.

And I have to thank our partners at NX, and Brittany and Jeff at DKC, for helping us to get there.

So we’re on for season 4. We don’t expect too much of a covid-related delay, but if that one guy who keeps tagging me on IG to demand “season 4 NOW” could fuck off, I’d appreciate it.

Four seasons of an Anglophone adult drama animation about vampires, moral philosophy and toilet paper. Which is not a niche production, but something with an audience of (stops, sees Netflix sniper rifle dot)… many, many millions. Who saw that coming? If it turns out that this weird thing is what prised open the door on doing adult-oriented drama narrative in English language animation, I would be delighted. Because we just proved that the audience is there, in the same numbers that show up for live-action drama.

In conclusion: thanks very much, everybody.

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