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Geek Tyrant
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
HBO Max Cancels 1970s DUSTER Series After One Season — GeekTyrant
Well, that was short-lived. HBO Max has officially pulled the plug on Duster after just one season. The series, created by LaToya Morgan and J.J. Abrams, had only just wrapped its season finale last week, leaving fans who were invested in its gritty, retro crime world wondering what could've been. The show premiered in May and starred Lost 's Josh Holloway as a getaway driver working for a rising crime syndicate in the 1970s Southwest. Rachel Hilson played a determined young FBI agent on a mission to bring it all crashing down. I watched the first couple episodes of the series, but it never really quite grabbed my attention. In a statement, HBO Max shared: 'While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a second season of Duster , we are so grateful to have had the chance to work with the amazingly talented co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, and our partners at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. 'We are tremendously proud of this series led by Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson and we thank them along with our cast and crew for their incredible collaboration and partnership.' That wraps a long road for the show. Duster was first announced back in 2020 as part of Abrams' big overall deal with Warner Bros. Television and was the only live-action series from that deal to actually make it to air on HBO Max. Others including a Justice League Dark project and a Shining -inspired spinoff, never got past development. The animated series Batman: Caped Crusader , which Abrams also executive produced, was picked up by HBO Max before being moved over to Prime Video instead. Warner Bros. Television also chimed in, saying: 'J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan delivered a thrilling, multi-dimensional crime drama in Duster, with textured characters that took the audience back to the 1970s in a new and innovative way. 'Those characters were brought to life by a wonderful team led by Josh, Rachel, and an extremely talented ensemble cast, along with an expert crew behind the scenes. We are incredibly proud of the show, and while we wish this journey could continue, we are thankful to our partners at HBO Max for the opportunity to tell Jim and Nina's story.' If you watch the first season of Duster , what did you think? Source: Variety
Express Tribune
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
HBO Max cancels ‘Duster' after one season despite praise for J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan series
HBO Max has cancelled Duster after just one season, less than a week after the season finale aired. The 1970s crime drama was created by J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, reuniting Abrams with Lost star Josh Holloway, who led the series alongside Rachel Hilson. The show followed Nina, the first Black female FBI agent, played by Hilson, who heads to the Southwest in 1972 and recruits Holloway's character, a gutsy getaway driver, to help take down a rising crime syndicate. Despite positive reception, Duster did not generate enough viewership to secure renewal, although it maintained a strong critical score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83% audience rating. In a statement, HBO Max said, 'While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a second season of Duster, we are so grateful to have had the chance to work with the amazingly talented co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, and our partners at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television.' Warner Bros. Television added, 'J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan delivered a thrilling, multi-dimensional crime drama in Duster, with textured characters that took the audience back to the 1970s in a new and innovative way.' The cancellation sparked disappointment among viewers, with many taking to social media to express frustration that the series ended so soon despite its strong reviews. Some fans called it a 'massive blow' and criticised the lack of promotion, while others praised the show's 1970s setting and characters, wishing it had been given more time to build an audience.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Duster Cancelled at HBO Max After One Season
Duster is done and dusted. HBO Max has cancelled the crime-caper series, TVLine has confirmed, meaning there'll be no Season 2. More from TVLine Big Bang Theory Spinoff Ordered at HBO Max - Here's How Sheldon and Leonard Factor Into Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Max Rebrand Update: Here's When the Streaming Service Will Become HBO Max (Again) Abigail Spencer to Star Opposite Josh Charles in Fox's Doc Martin Adaptation Duster was set in the 1970s and starred Lost's Josh Holloway as a crime syndicate's getaway driver who wound up cooperating with an FBI agent named Nina, played by This Is Us alum Rachel Hilson. The show was co-created by J.J. Abrams (Lost) and LaToya Morgan (The Walking Dead). The Season 1 finale, which now will serve as a series finale, began streaming on July 3. Dream Roles for Stars of Cancelled Shows: New Rookie Recruit, Meta Pitt Patient, Will Trent Sibling and More View List Per a statement from the streaming service: 'While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a second season of Duster, we are so grateful to have had the chance to work with the amazingly talented co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, and our partners at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. We are tremendously proud of this series led by Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson and we thank them along with our cast and crew for their incredible collaboration and partnership.' Warner Bros. Television, which produced the series, added via statement: 'J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan delivered a thrilling, multi-dimensional crime drama in Duster, with textured characters that took the audience back to the 1970s in a new and innovative way. Those characters were brought to life by a wonderful team led by Josh, Rachel, and an extremely talented ensemble cast, along with an expert crew behind the scenes. We are incredibly proud of the show, and while we wish this journey could continue, we are thankful to our partners at HBO Max for the opportunity to tell Jim and Nina's story.' In addition to Holloway and Hilson, the cast included Keith David (Greenleaf), Sydney Elisabeth (The Last O.G.), Greg Grunberg (Felicity), Camille Guaty (Las Vegas), Asivak Koostachin (Cardinal), newcomer Adriana Aluna Martinez and Benjamin Charles Watson (Designated Survivor). Do you have thoughts and/or feelings about 's cancellation? Hit the comments and let us know! Best of TVLine 'Missing' Shows, Found! Get the Latest on Ahsoka, Monarch, P-Valley, Sugar, Anansi Boys and 25+ Others Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Duster' Stars And Creator On Paying Tribute To The 1970s
'Duster' The season finale of Duster, J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan's latest TV show, will be released tomorrow on Max, and I caught up with the actors and creator behind the 1970s adrenaline-fueled crime thriller series, Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson and Latoya Morgan. Set in the Southwest in the 1970s, Duster tells the story of the FBI's first Black woman agent, Nina Hayes, played by Rachel Hilson, who will have to overcome many obstacles to stop a crime syndicate. But in order to gather all the evidences she needs, Nina will have to collaborate with Jim Ellis, portrayed by Josh Holloway, the getaway driver of the syndicate's boss. Tomorrow will be the last time the audience is able to admire the show's opening credits, filled with hidden easter eggs, adding to the fun and creativity of this sequence. I spoke to Morgan about the creative and narrative decisions behind the opening credits. She said, ''We wanted the chance to really immerse the audience in the story, and the title sequence was just another way to do that. We had this great company called the Meat department, who did our animation. We wanted to feel like you're in a little toy box, like you're on the drive with this toy duster.'' UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: (L-R) Rachel Hilson, Josh Holloway and LaToya Morgan attend the ... More Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere of Max Original Series 'Duster' at Universal Studios Hollywood on May 08, 2025 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Max) Abrams has had Duster's opening sequence in mind for two decades. When he called Morgan and Holloway, whom he's been friend with since they worked together on Lost, he described the vision he had with a phone ringing in the middle of the desert, a car going very fast towards it, a man getting out of the car and answering the call. To Morgan, Abrams has been ''really fantastic to work with and a great collaborator.'' She said, ''I was shocked because first I was like 'J.J. Abrams is calling me? This is weird.' But I was very very happy and excited. When we met, we just had a meeting of the minds, we have very similar sensibilities, we like the same stuff, and we both wanted to do something we both felt hadn't been done on TV for a while. And that was to have this sort of throwback, crime, thriller show.'' Holloway said, ''I had to really concentrate and really listen to him because my mind started wrapping around all of that and what it would be like. I was like 'Stay with J.J, he's still telling you more about this show.' But that's what happens to us as artists or actors, you start embodying this character immediately if it's something you're attracted to, it's like a magnet. The world of the 1970s blew up in my mind.'' Josh Holloway in 'Duster' Hilson said, ''I had a little bit of a different journey from Josh, I auditioned, I didn't know much about this character but I knew she was from Baltimore, which I am also from Baltimore, so I found that to be very cool. After reading the script, which was under wrap for a while, I just saw this character, I wanted to get the chance to embody her. And I think knowing J.J's body of work, he really champions the heroine, so knowing that and knowing more about LaToya, Nina was a no brainer for me.'' Holloway immediately found himself in Jim's character, having grown up in ''dirt roads in Georgia in the 1970s.'' He said, ''I have been driving since I was 9 years old, the ranch truck and the tractor. I remember dad, and he looked exactly like Abraham Lincoln by the way, picture that! He had the beard without the mustache, that Hamish thing. He was driving his little MGB and his hair was blowing. I remember him coming home from work, and I was like, 'That was the 1970s!' He was a nudist, he walked around nude all the time, so I lived in that era, it was simpler back then. And I was like 'Ah! This feels like when I was a kid!' So I really immersed myself back in my memories.'' He added: ''I always drive with the windows down, I hate AC, we didn't have AC growing up, so it's windows down, hair blowing, music blasting, big VA. That's who I am,'' Holloway said. Holloway also knew right away what Jim was listening to in his car. He said, ''I found what Jim drives to, and it's Jimmy Hendrix, 100%.'' Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson Everything in Dusters feels like it could have been made in the 1970s, from the photography to the set locations. Morgan said, ''When we're out in the desert, we wanted those wide vistas to feel very cinematic.'' Over the past few weeks, Duster has been a perfect watch for any 1970s aesthetic, music or movies aficionado, and the creators have made the very creative choice to add real elements and real people into their fictional story. In episode 2, Jim has to steal Elvis Presley's own Blue Suede Shoes in order to get himself out of a very dangerous situation. Morgan said, ''It's crazy that he literally has to steal the Blue Sudede shoes! But that's why we wanted it to be about Jim, having to come up with a crazy compromise in order to satisfy one guy, so he can get out of trouble with the other guy. That was because we wanted to do something in Elvis' honeymoon house. This was close from Arizona, it could be a place where Jim drives to and we can have a party there.'' Duster is now streaming on Max.
Car and Driver
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Car and Driver
HBO Max Brings Back the Car Chase Show with 'Duster'
An empty desert. A ringing pay phone. A rookie agent. A grizzled criminal, torn between loyalties. Wavering in the heat shimmer of hot tarmac, the recognizable rumble of Mopar muscle. So begins HBO Max's new eight-episode 1970s crime thriller Duster, which is currently rolling out in June. No spoilers (apart from the one on the back of the titular, window-rattling Plymouth), but if you're a fan of Vanishing Point or Starsky and Hutch, you're going to want to catch this one. A 1970 Plymouth Duster is a pretty unusual lead for a '70s drama, which is exactly why it was chosen. Rather than opt for a more obvious Dodge Charger or Ford Mustang, co-creator and showrunner LaToya Morgan picked out a car that brought some character to the screen. It's a bit of a scruffy underdog of a car, but one with a bite, all jacked up in the rear and ready to pull tire-scorching spins any time a quick getaway is called for. Warner Brothers At the wheel of the Duster is Josh Holloway, playing underworld driver Jim Ellis. Perhaps best known for his appearance in Lost, Holloway did a villainous turn on the third and fourth seasons of Yellowstone, and he is note-perfect here as both good guy and bad guy, the rogue you love to root for. Duster's other co-creator is Star Wars director J.J. Abrams, and in Holloway he's got his Han Solo. There are punchups, car chases, gunfights, larceny, and plenty of groovy early 1970s rock and funk. As a crime drama with a sense of humor, Duster is a roller coaster. There's a team-up with an inexperienced but dogged FBI agent, a host of underworld villains, and a brassy stepmother from hell. The opening credits feature model cars crashing through the desert, and if you wanted to think of the show as a sort of R-rated Hot Wheels track, that'd be accurate. It's huge fun. However, for sharp-eyed auto enthusiasts, the background of nearly every street scene in Duster has hidden gems to spot. Getting the details right is the job of picture car coordinator Ted Moser, and as a longtime Mopar fan, he's dedicated to the task. "I'm married to a production designer, who designs the look of the sets—that includes the cars and costumes. So I've learned a lot," Moser says. Warner Brothers Duster is set in 1972, and Moser breaks down the vehicles into three basic eras. If it's five years old or newer, it needs to look new. If it's a 1962–1967 model, it should be fairly worn. If it's older than ten years, a background car should be a clapped-out hooptie. Moser has a great deal of experience as a picture car coordinator, and he specializes in this era of vintage car. His most notable work for gearheads is probably building all the cars for 2 Fast 2 Furious, but he also chose the background cars for 2012's Argo and 2016's Quarry, both set in the 1970s. Moser's company is called Picture Car Warehouse, and he has hundreds of cars to choose from. "You're looking for the muscle cars because that's what everyone's been hyped on," he says, "And I shift my focus to, 'Okay, but what about everything else?" The Duster 340 gets to be the hero, and there are plenty of other up-front cars matched to main characters, but Moser is most proud of the more subtle choices, the cars in the back of the shot. He calls them ND cars, short for nondescript, vehicles that make the Southwestern sets look period-correct and lived in. There's a bit of trickery done by swapping out wheels so a background car can appear on screen more than once, but it can't be the same Mustang on every corner or the audience will notice. Moser gives Morgan plenty of credit for being extremely knowledgeable and working with his team on getting the cars right for the year. Warner Brothers That level of care extends to the cars themselves, as Moser tries to protect the classics from getting used up in stunts. In one chase scene, the Duster is pursued by an AMC AMX, which gets wrecked. An AMX is a stubby little duck-tailed bulldog of a car, uncommon enough to deserve preservation. Instead of smashing up a real AMX, a little movie magic was applied to a rust-bucket Javelin that was beyond hope, and that was wrecked instead. As for the Duster itself, that car came with a few unexpected quirks. There are four cars used in filming, two hero cars with all the correct details, and two stunt cars for doing the skids. Previously, Moser set up the Challengers from 2 Fast 2 Furious with 318-cubic-inch V-8s and short 4.88 gearing, as stunt cars need to be sprinters, not top-end performers. Those Dusters were built by another specialist, and arrived in the filming fleet powered by V-8s that stung Moser's pride as a longtime Mopar enthusiast. "When we received [the stunt cars] for Duster, they had LS3s in them," Moser says with a rueful laugh, "These cars were nicely done, don't get me wrong, but being a Mopar guy you're falling on your sword to do that." The other surprise was Holloway's genuine skill behind the wheel. "We took Josh out to a racetrack west of Albuquerque for a day," says Moser. "He got so proficient at it, we started using him instead of the stunt driver in some of the stunts." Warner Brothers The stunt cars were not set up for interior filming, so the team had to scramble to get some of the details sorted. Moser refers to the result as "good enough for shoulders-up" filming, but says there will probably be some fine-tuning for a next season. Without giving anything away, the show ends with plenty of unresolved material to leave room for a second season filled with even more criminal capers, shootouts, and shots of a red Plymouth Duster, firing on all cylinders, ready to scorch across that desert and into a whole mess of trouble once again. With so many recent shows focused on psychological drama in boardrooms and Beverly Hills, it's fun to get a good auto-heavy action option for TV car spotting. Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio
