OFMD PR/FAQ
1 June 2024 - Amazon MGM Studios today announced the start of filming the third season of beloved pirate workplace romantic comedy series Our Flag Means Death following its acquisition of the property in January this year. Thanks to a quick decision to acquire the series after Warner Brothers Discovery/Max announced a decision not to renew it, Amazon MGM Studios was able to leverage the work already in progress to begin filming this year.
“Acquiring Our Flag Means Death was an easy decision for us,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “The show has won awards for costuming and set design and been nominated for a Peabody Award, two GLAAD awards, three Dorian Awards, and three Hollywood Critics Awards. Ratings from critics and viewers were consistently high for both seasons so far, and statistics from Parrot Analytics show its average demand is 21.6x the average for all shows in this market worldwide. This was a natural fit for Amazon MGM Studios’ mission to be the global destination entertainment globally. The critical acclaim for the series’ diverse representation and themes of belonging, identity, and joy further our goals to ensure the diversity of our customers is reflected in the programming we offer. We honestly can’t believe Max didn’t see the value, but their loss is very much our gain.”
“We are excited to deliver for the show’s fans and expand the Our Flag Means Death universe under the Amazon MGM Studios umbrella,” said Alexandra Marinescu, Global Head of Series Marketing. “The fandom – which I would affectionately describe as ‘feral’ – is eager to engage with more of the OFMD brand. They are ready for officially licensed merchandise, Blu-Ray box sets, and more cast and crew members at conventions. They see what Amazon has created around properties like Good Omens, and they want that for their show. We are uniquely positioned to offer that to an audience that’s demonstrated they’re hungry for it.”
The acquisition of Our Flag Means Death aligns well with other offerings from Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video. Good Omens, an Amazon Original, and Deadloch, an Australian detective comedy series, have both seen some crossover interest among OFMD fans. Deadloch creator Kate McClennan acknowledged the role OFMD fans had in bringing attention and viewership to Deadloch on Prime Video after fans of the pirate series followed new cast member Madeleine Sami to her lead role in Deadloch. “We expect OFMD to bring in new subscribers and new viewership on Prime Video, and we are excited for them to start exploring our catalog of programming,” said Jacob Saperstein, Director of Growth for Amazon Prime Video. “The fact that such an acclaimed show with a reliable middle-aged audience also has a large GenZ audience – 49.4% according to Parrot Analytics – will help us draw in that maturing demographic as they establish their own households and make their content subscription choices.”
“We’re thrilled that Amazon MGM Studios picked up the show,” said Peccy A. Fangirl, one of the volunteer leads of the #AdoptOurCrew renewal campaign on social media. “This show is incredibly special. It has created community, sparked creativity, and brought joy to so many people who don’t typically see themselves well represented on screen. The show was always intended to have a three season arc, and hearing that Max decided not to renew for that final chapter of the story was heartbreaking. Thanks to Amazon, we can see Ed and Stede get their happy ending, and we’re happy to bring our passion and loyalty and business to Amazon. I actually had never subscribed to Prime before, but this tipped me over into finally doing it.”
The third season will be the final season in the core story arc, per showrunner David Jenkins. While the story of Ed and Stede - Blackbeard and the Gentleman Pirate - is the focus of the core arc, various characters in the ensemble cast have been embraced by fans and may be the focus of future spinoffs. “We are evaluating all options,” said a spokesperson for Amazon MGM Studios. “The Our Flag Means Death universe is a rich one, and we are excited to see where we can take it.”
FAQs:
First and foremost, Our Flag Means Death is a romance, and one that centers queer romance in a way that most media properties don’t - many properties queerbait (tease at queer romance, but play it safe by never making it canon), or make the story about the trauma of coming out as queer. OFMD uniquely leaned into the canon queer main relationship and avoided the “coming-out” narrative or trauma around people disapproving of sexuality or gender identity in a way that is unique, refreshing, and much needed for LGBTQ+ audiences who often aren’t offered this in media they consume.
Subsets of the audience find other things to identify with throughout the show. The ensemble cast has diverse racial representation and representation of multiple types of disabilities. It shows misfits – “the sales rack of pirates”, as the script puts it – finding friendship, family, and romantic love with each other. It is at its core a mid-life crisis story, but it treats it with kindness and hopefulness, which has resonated strongly with middle aged viewers evaluating what they want out of life after living through several years of pandemic chaos up-ending their jobs and families.
There’s a bit of “something for everyone” in the show alongside the clever humor, rom-com drama, thoughtful social commentary, and wholly original narrative take on a little known historical fact.
There’s no exact analog anywhere, but many fans have pointed out overlapping commonality in some aspects with shows such as Ted Lasso (themes of found family, leadership, and toxic masculinity presented in a comedic setting) or The Office (workplace comedy tone with a strong ensemble cast). There is crossover in the fanbase with Good Omens due to similarities in tropes and chemistry between the main characters in both shows, a similar balance of storytelling, drama, and comedy, and also for the diverse queer representation both shows provide.
The fandom responded with the measured calm and graceful resignation they are known for. (This is a lie) In reality, a self-organized volunteer-led campaign called #RenewAsACrew coordinated fandom social media efforts and letter writing to put pressure on Max to renew, and another campaign called #HoistTheAds raised more than $20,000 to pay for a Times Square Billboard, flyover sign, and other advertising in NYC and LA to spread awareness of the renewal effort and links to a petition for renewal (which at time of PR/FAQ writing has over 86,000 signatures). Excess funds raised were donated to charities. Another fandom social media effort, #AdoptOurCrew (and related campaigns such as #WooAsACrew), has focused on encouraging a new streaming service – such as Amazon MGM Studios – to pick up the show. The fandom self-organized rapidly and demonstrated the passion, drive, and enthusiasm they bring to everything about the show and would undoubtedly bring to support of a Season 3.
How Our Flag Means Death’s creator made a period romance disguised as a pirate comedy - The Verge
Can This Pirate Comedy Bring Real Romance Back to TV? - Vanity Fair
'Our Flag Means Death' Season 2: Gayer and darker pirates tales ahead - Mashable
‘Our Flag Means Death’ Charts a Course for an Incredible Season 2 - The Daily Beast
‘Unhinged – in a good way’: Our Flag Means Death was cancelled. Its fans are fighting back - The Guardian
Our Flag Means Death is Taika Waititi and co at their best – we need more of it - The Radio Times