Why Netflix Still Doesn’t Have ‘Gomorrah’ Seasons 3 and 4
What if a brilliant gangster movie became a TV series without sacrificing quality? It’s intriguing to think about a Godfather series produced by Francis Ford Coppola or a Goodfellas series from Martin Scorsese. But neither one ever happened.
A few years after the release of Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah (2008), fans of modern mafia films did get to sink their teeth into one. Roberto Saviano, who wrote the 2006 book on which Gomorrah was based (he also co-wrote the film script), developed a series based on his work for Italian TV.
That series became a smash-hit in Italy upon its 2014 release and quickly made its way around the world. In 2016, it landed in America on Sundance TV and proved it could captivate audiences anywhere.
Since then, Gomorrah’s Seasons One and Two have landed on Netflix. But while new seasons later premiered in Italy and elsewhere, American audiences have been stuck with those first two.
Weinstein Co. legal troubles have held up the latest ‘Gomorrah’ seasons
Season Four of Gomorrah debuted on Sky Italia in March 2019. Its 1 million+ viewers outperformed the show’s third season and surpassed the audience for Game of Thrones in Italy. In brief, there’s been no letdown commercially or creatively for the show’s producers.
As The Hollywood Reporter noted in its report on the Season Four premiere, U.S. rights to the series belonged to The Weinstein Co. While TWC continues to grapple with legal troubles (including bankruptcy proceedings), it’s kept Gomorrah without a distribution deal here.
So while Season Four of Gomorrah made it to the UK in June ’19, U.S. viewers still haven’t caught up on the show’s blockbuster third season. As there is no end in sight to the Weinstein Co.’s troubles, no one can predict when that will change.
A 5th season of ‘Gomorrah’ and prequel film by Marco D’Amore
If you’re a fan of Gomorrah or Marco D’Amore (Ciro di Marzio), there is no shortage of material in the pipeline. Following the fourth season of Gomorrah, a fifth season was produced for Italian TV.
Meanwhile, D’Amore directed and starred in a prequel film based on his character. L’Immortale, which will premiere overseas late in 2019, follows the story of Ciro from his birth through his rise in the Naples Camorra mafia.
What’s unusual about the film is it actually bridges Seasons Four and Five of Gomorrah. (Imagine going to see a Game of Thrones film in a theater to understand a later season on HBO.)
But before American audiences get to the end of Season Four, they’ll have to get access to Season Three. Judging by the level of legal issues the Weinstein Co. faces, we suggest not holding your breath.
There’s no telling when the latest from Gomorrah might arrive on Netflix (or any other U.S. streaming platform). For those looking for that Gomorrah fix, revisiting The Wire would probably be your best bet.
Also see: Why Robert De Niro Shrugged Off Claims ‘The Irishman’ Is Historically Inaccurate