The OA

Lore & Background

The OA was conceived by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij in December 2012. They spent two years developing the concept on their own before pitching to studios, telling the story aloud and noting each other's reactions. When executives read the script of the first hour, they asked if the story 'really went somewhere,' prompting Marling and Batmanglij to act out the entire story over many hours. The series was first announced on March 5, 2015, after a multiple-network bidding war, with Netflix ordering eight one-hour episodes. Rostam Batmanglij, Zal's brother, composed the theme music, and choreographer Ryan Heffington created The Movements, inspired by interpretive dance. The final chapter of Part I includes a dedication to Allison Wilke, a producer who died of breast cancer three days after the series was finished.

Reader's Guide

The OA received generally favorable critical reception, averaging 77% for Part I and 92% for Part II on Rotten Tomatoes. It has been included in the 'best of' lists of many entertainment publications. In 2021, Empire named it the ninth best TV show of all time, and BBC listed it as one of the 100 greatest TV series of the 21st century at number 88. The series was also listed by NME as the 20th best TV show of the decade and by Wired as the sixth best. Despite being planned as a five-part story, Netflix canceled the series after two seasons on August 5, 2019, leaving a cliffhanger ending. Fans responded with campaigns including #SaveTheOA, a Change.org petition, a digital billboard in Times Square, and a hunger strike outside Netflix's Los Angeles headquarters. On June 13, 2025, actor Jason Isaacs stated that the series 'is not over' and that he, Batmanglij, and Marling had agreed to do 'whatever it takes' to bring it back.

Did You Know?

• The OA was planned by its creators to be a five-part story told in five seasons.
• The series was produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content.
• Choreographer Ryan Heffington created The Movements, inspired by interpretive dance.
• The final chapter of Part I includes a dedication to producer Allison Wilke, who died of breast cancer three days after the series was finished.

The Aural Birth of a Story

Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij began shaping The OA in December 2012, spending two full years developing the concept independently before pitching it to any studio. A hallmark of their method was working aurally rather than through written outlines. Finding the story difficult to summarize on the page, they would tell it aloud to each other, noting one another's reactions to sharpen scenes and character arcs. When studio executives read the first-hour script and questioned whether the plot truly went somewhere, Marling and Batmanglij responded by performing the entire narrative from beginning to end, voicing every role and physically acting out the major set pieces over many hours. Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment connected with the material early and shared notes before the project entered a multi-network bidding war. Netflix ultimately secured the series, announcing the eight-episode order on March 5, 2015. The show represented the third major collaboration between Marling and Batmanglij, following Sound of My Voice and The East, with both serving as writers and executive producers while Batmanglij directed nearly every episode.

Two Dimensions, Two Seasons

Part I introduces Prairie Johnson, an adopted young woman who reappears after seven years of disappearance. She now identifies as the OA—short for original angel—bears scars across her back, and has regained sight she lost before vanishing. Rather than explaining her absence to the FBI or her adoptive parents, she recruits a small team of five locals, consisting of four high school students and a teacher, to whom she reveals her full history. Their mission: help her open a portal to another dimension to rescue other missing people. Part II follows the OA as she crosses into that other dimension and lands in San Francisco. There she searches for her former captor, Hap, and her fellow captives, while crossing paths with private eye Karim Washington. Together they investigate the surreal disappearance of a missing girl tied to an abandoned house with a supernatural past and an online puzzle game. Back in the original dimension, the OA's five companions set out on a cross-country road trip to assist her journey.

Critical Acclaim and a Sudden End

The OA premiered on Netflix on December 16, 2016, and quickly earned generally favorable reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, Part I holds a 77 percent approval rating while Part II scores even higher at 92 percent. The series has been featured on numerous best-of lists published by entertainment outlets across the industry. Netflix renewed the show for a second season on February 8, 2017, and Part II was released on March 22, 2019. However, the creators had originally envisioned The OA as a five-part story spanning five seasons. That long-term plan was cut short when, on August 5, 2019, Netflix canceled the series after just two seasons. The decision left the narrative unresolved, ending on a cliffhanger that denied audiences the conclusion Marling and Batmanglij had mapped out. The cancellation, announced despite the show's positive critical reception, sparked notable fan response.

The Creative Ecosystem

Beyond the screen, The OA was shaped by a tight-knit group of collaborators who had worked with Marling and Batmanglij on earlier projects. Rostam Batmanglij, Zal's brother, composed the series' score and wrote its theme music, having previously done the same for both Sound of My Voice and The East. Choreographer Ryan Heffington created The Movements, a set of sequences inspired by interpretive dance. Heffington had first worked professionally with the duo on The East and had known both of them before that. The series was produced by Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content, with Batmanglij directing nearly all episodes across both seasons. A particularly poignant note: the final chapter of Part I carries a dedication to Allison Wilke, also known professionally as A.W. Gryphon, a producer on the series who passed away from breast cancer just three days after the series was completed and a month before its release.