Clyde Phillips, creator of “Dexter: Original Sin,” has publicly addressed the abrupt renewal and subsequent cancellation of the Paramount+ prequel series. Despite the show receiving a Season 2 pickup in April, news broke in August that “Original Sin” had, in fact, been scrapped by the streaming service. Phillips recounted the “tough phone call” where he was informed of the reversal after having already notified his writers and actors, expressing his dissatisfaction with how the situation was handled.

While “Original Sin,” which was set to star Patrick Gibson as a younger Dexter Morgan, will not return, Paramount+ is reportedly opening a writers’ room for a potential second season of “Dexter: Resurrection.” Phillips revealed on the “Dissecting Dexter” podcast that his extensive plans for expanding the “Dexter”-verse were significantly disrupted by Paramount’s merger with Skydance. He claimed that former Paramount boss Chris McCarthy had ambitious goals for the franchise, envisioning Phillips as a “new Taylor Sheridan” to oversee multiple spinoffs. Phillips had spent a year plotting out several years of content, including potential prequel ideas centered on younger versions of characters like James Doakes and Captain Matthews.

Among the developed projects was a “Trinity” spinoff, a prequel focusing on the killer famously played by John Lithgow in the original “Dexter” series. Phillips detailed spending a year in Los Angeles with a writers’ room, completing 10 scripts for “Trinity.” Additionally, 10 scripts were developed for a project following Dexter’s son Harrison, which would have taken the character in a “completely different direction” from his eventual fate in “Resurrection,” as Dexter was not involved. Phillips lamented that after a year dedicated to “writing all these shows” and “creating the [‘Dexter’]-verse,” the merger led to Paramount having “other plans.”

Regarding the “Trinity” series, Phillips indicated it is currently on the “back-burner” and expressed strong doubts about its future, stating he doesn’t “think Paramount is going to go for it.” He believes the streamer is primarily interested in “Resurrection,” questioning, “If they cancel ‘Original Sin,’ which is a built-in hit, how are they going to pick up ‘Trinity’?” The decision to halt multiple spinoffs, including the Trinity-focused series which would have brought back Lithgow to voice the character alongside a younger actor, suggests Paramount may be wary of oversaturating the market with “Dexter” content. The studio seems to be consolidating its efforts to ensure “Michael C. Hall’s return” in “Resurrection” is handled with maximum time and resources.

Although “Dexter: Resurrection” has not yet been officially renewed for a second season, all indications point towards its continuation. Reports detailing the cancellation of “Original Sin” simultaneously confirmed that Paramount had already initiated a writers’ room for “Dexter: Resurrection” Season 2. Provided Clyde Phillips and his team can develop compelling scripts and avoid major scheduling conflicts, a second season of “Dexter: Resurrection” could potentially arrive as early as next year.