Chris Keyser served as showrunner on Julia, which was created by Daniel Goldfarb, who wrote the pilot, and stars Sarah Lancashire as the creator of The French Chef.
The decision to cancel the series comes a few weeks after the season two finale of Julia was released on December 21.
“We are so honored to have partnered with Chris Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb and their masterful creative team and dynamic cast, led by Sarah Lancashire, as they cooked up Julia,” a rep for Max said in a statement. “Thanks to their beautiful work over two seasons of this heartful, sensual, and inspiring show, we can forever celebrate the incredible legacy of Julia Child.”
The regular cast of Julia includes two Frasier/Cheers alumni, David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth. Pierce has said he has no interest in reprising his role as Niles in the 2023 reboot of Frasier on Paramount+, which looks good in terms of being renewed for a second season, while Neuwirth returned as Lilith in an episode of the first season. Yet Julia's ending makes them available, which creates possibilities.
Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott and Robert Joy also co-star, with Judith Light, Isabella Rossellini and James Cromwell in recurring roles.
Julia is produced by Lionsgate and 3 Arts Entertainment. Keyser and Goldfarb co-produced with 3 Arts Entertainment's Erwin Stoff, Kimberly Carver, pilot director Charles McDougall and Erica Lipez. Todd Schulkin was consulting producer on behalf of the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and Culinary Arts.
“Julia Child tends to make people happy,” EPs Keyser and Goldfarb said at the time of the Season 2 renewal in 2022. “In a bleak world, she is a welcome balm. Making this show has done the same for us. Working with our cast — with Sarah and David — our production team, writers, directors and editors, who have become our friends, makes us happy. In the language of Julia, it feeds our souls.”
