WHY THE OWL HOUSE WAS CANCELED AFTER SEASON 3

The Owl House ended with season 3 after Disney surprisingly canceled the show in spite of its critical acclaim, and viewers were left wondering why it wasn't renewed. The animated series premiered on Disney Channel in January 2020. Over the course of its three seasons, The Owl House follows Luz (voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles) when she ends up in the Demon Realm. While she tries to find her way back home, Luz resides at the Boiling Isles. She trains as a witch under Eda Clawthorne (Wendie Malick), a witch who also goes by the name The Owl Lady.

While Luz trains with Eda at The Owl House, she and her friends work together against the dangerous Belos (Matthew Rhys) and the Collector (Fryda Wolff) to save the Boiling Isles. Found family is a huge theme throughout The Owl House. Multiple lead characters in The Owl House are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and instead of their sexualities and gender identities being ambiguous, they have defined arcs. This inclusiveness and diversity set The Owl House apart from other shows released on Disney Channel.

Showrunner Dana Terrace Says The Owl House Was Canceled Because It Didn't Fit The Disney "Brand"

After Disney Channel renewed The Owl House for season 3, it was revealed the series was canceled and would not continue beyond that. After the announcement, The Owl House creator Dana Terrace held a Reddit AMA in October 2021 where she explained the reason for its cancellation. According to Terrace, "There are a few business people who oversee what fits into the Disney brand, and one day one of those guys decided The Owl House didn't fit that 'brand'."

Even though media with LGBTQ+ representation are review-bombed and boycotted, The Owl House's creator does not think such content resulted in the show being canceled on Disney Channel. Instead, Terrace thinks that because The Owl House primarily attracted viewers in a higher age demographic, executives did not want to keep making the show after season 3. Since The Owl House is an animated series and Disney Channel primarily creates content for children, pre-teens, and teenagers, it was more popular with a demographic that the channel does not cater to. There is also a stigma that animated shows like The Owl House cannot be enjoyed by adults.

The Owl House Season 3 Consists Of Three Specials

Instead of a full season, The Owl House season 3 is made up of three specials. The first special premiered on Disney Channel on October 15, 2022, starting the season with Luz and her friends back in the Human Realm. After tricking Luz, Belos is able to escape and return to the Demon Realm. On January 21, 2023, the second special of The Owl House season 3 premiered. In this installment, Luz and her friends make their way to the Boiling Isles and find that the Collector has made almost every character a puppet. This penultimate episode sets up the characters to defeat Kikimora (Mela Lee), Belos, and the Collector.

The final episode of The Owl House aired on April 8, 2023. In this third special, after initially being captured by the Collector, Luz attempts to protect him and is killed by Belos. In the In-Between Realm, Luz is given the Titan's magic. When she returns, she manages to separate Belos from the Titan's heart, and her friends make sure he dies. An epilogue shows the characters four years later as Luz is about to attend college in the Demon Realm. Even though The Owl House season 3 had a shorter run after being canceled, the show's creatives managed to wrap up the characters' journeys in a satisfying conclusion.

2023-06-01T16:10:33Z dg43tfdfdgfd