Posted in: Movies, Netflix, streaming, TV | Tagged: halo bearers, netflix, simon barry, warrior nun

Warrior Nun: Simon Barry on Film Involvement, Season 3 Plans & More

Warrior Nun series creator Simon Barry discusses his film involvement, thematic plans for Season 3 & fans needing to have their voices heard.

It's been two months since we last checked in on how things were looking with the Alba Baptista-starring Warrior Nun, addressing the concerns that quite a few "Halo Bearers" had that the upcoming three-film return (and possible spinoffs within the "Warrior Nun" universe) would restart the franchise from the beginning. Considering the time & hard work that the fans put into saving the series, it was understandable that their #SaveWarriorNun campaign would shift to a #SaveOURWarriorNun campaign. Now, thanks to the latest edition of The OCS Newsletter, we're getting some insight from series creator & showrunner Simon Barry (Continuum, Van Helsing). During the interview, Barry touched upon a number of subjects related to the series and what the future could possibly hold. In the following highlights, Barry explains why he isn't involved in the film project, discusses the possibility that the films might go in a reboot direction, offers some insight into what could've been with a third season ("Ava was gonna be the bad guy"), and reminds the fans to not give up on having a voice on the franchise.

Barry Explains Why He's Not Involved with Films, Films Going Different Route from TV Series: "At the time, I didn't know it was gonna be three movies, I thought it was one movie. And so I was really happy. I wasn't thinking in terms of myself at that point, I was thinking in terms of the fans and what the fans wanted, and the fact that there was an opportunity for the story to keep going. As you may realize, I work for lots of different companies on lots of different shows. As soon as 'Warrior Nun' was canceled, I was out looking for more work," Barry shared.

He continued, "So, in my mind, I have to pay my bills; I have to feed my family. So I was not waiting for anything 'Warrior Nun'-related to happen as a professional. I was out there, doing what I do, what I've done for 30 years, which is write stories, find stories, make stories, and that's it. So for me, the announcement that this company was interested was, I felt, just a thing that the fans would be happy about. I wasn't putting it into any context for myself; it was just this is good news. Period. Only later did I realize that their agenda for making the film was really not going to be similar to what the TV show was. And that's their business; it's not my business, I'm, as I said, I'm a hired gun. So they can do whatever they want. And I respect that. And at the same time, I'm still working with Netflix, so I have to be respectful of their decision."

Barry Teases Season 3 & What Could've Been: "Ava Was Gonna Be The Bad Guy": "There's not a lot to talk about other than, you know, what we hoped the bigger story of season 3 would be. And, you know, for me, my intention was when we were writing season 2 and creating this sacrifice for Ava as a character was because she really does sort of put herself ahead," Barry explained. "The arc of her character from season 1 to season 2 is really one of self-sacrifice… she gives up this fantasy of being reborn and having a life, and decides that it's better that she sacrifices herself for her friends and the people she cares about."

Barry continued, "So in season 3, I really wanted to kind of flip the script a little bit and have Ava's return be… she's the villain in a way. Not in a deliberate way, but that she comes back changed by Reya. And Reya basically is using her as a weapon to execute a plan, which I don't have time to get into in this interview. And the idea being that the OCS has to find Beatrice, who's gone missing because only Beatrice can snap Ava out of this place she is… this reverie or this mindset that she is part of. Beatrice has to save her in kind of in this emotional/psychic/loving way to prevent her from just self-destructing, essentially. But Ava was gonna be the bad guy."

Barry Urges Fans to Remain Vocal: "You Guys Own It": "As a last thing, I just want to say… I know a lot of people have been talking about the fact that there's an endgame to the story of 'Warrior Nun.' But I don't know if that's true. I think that there has to be some kind of optimism and hope that whatever form it takes, it will follow in the spirit of what we did in the TV show. It'll follow… if not [in] the literal footsteps, then maybe the emotional and spiritual footsteps of what the show's intentions were. And hopefully, honor that and do it again in its own way… I don't claim to have any ownership over this thing. It really is the fans now. You guys own it… Raise your voices together and get them to deliver the best version of what it can be. Because I think that's where your combined voices can really actually have an impact," Barry added, urging fans to let the filmmakers know that they're looking for a continuation of the series they love and not a reboot.

Editorial Note: In the interest of full disclosure, "Warrior Nun" is based on a property owned by Avatar Press, which also owns Bleeding Cool. Avatar Press has not been, is not, and will not be involved in the editorial process behind Bleeding Cool's coverage of the series.

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