Elle Fanning has had a remarkable acting career spanning decades, with appearances in numerous movies and TV shows. She made her acting debut in 2001’s “I Am Sam” alongside her sister Dakota Fanning. In her early years, she starred in films like “Daddy Day Care”, “Charlotte’s Web”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, and “My Neighbour Totoro”. Later, she gained widespread acclaim for roles in movies such as “Super 8”, “Ginger & Rosa”, and “Maleficent”.
Over time, Fanning took on a diverse range of genres. She played the titular sci-fi pioneer in “Mary Shelley”, the traumatized teen Violet in “All the Bright Places”, and most recently, Sylvia Russo in James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown”. Looking ahead, she has exciting upcoming projects, including facing off against a deadly hunter in “Predator: Badlands” and lending her voice and likeness to Hideo Kojima’s action-adventure game “Death Stranding 2: On The Beach”.
The cancellation of “The Great” in 2023 came as a shock to Fanning. The historical drama, which she starred in as Catherine the Great of Russia, had consistently received high praise, with aggregated scores over 90% and a “Certified Fresh” rating throughout its run. Despite its acclaim, Hulu announced that season 3 would be the final one, bringing the absurdist historical retelling of Catherine’s rise to power to an abrupt end.
Fanning told that neither she nor the cast were informed in advance about the show’s cancellation, though some had suspicions while filming season 3. She said, “I think, ummm, no. We knew that it was a possibility when we were filming season three, but we didn’t know for sure.”
While Fanning regrets not having the chance to properly bid farewell to her castmates and crew during the production of season 3, she is satisfied with how the series concluded. She believes that ending “The Great” with Catherine ascending the throne, possessing newfound strength, resolution, and a firm grip on power, made for a fulfilling endpoint. As she put it, “That’s what I was sad about. But actually, Tony wrote it in a way that I thought was brilliant, because with that final scene being the dance, it summed it up perfectly. I would have been sad if it was a cliffhanger.”
Fanning’s perspective regarding the ending of “The Great” are that it’s unlikely the series will make a comeback. Although there are unresolved storylines, such as the survival of opponent Archie (Adam Godley) and other characters’ tales, along with the remainder of Catherine’s reign until 1796 that could potentially serve as inspiration for more episodes, it seems unlikely given the passage of time. More than a year has gone by since the show’s fate was sealed, and many of its cast and crew have already moved on to other projects.
Moreover, while Fanning may have wished for a proper goodbye with those involved, it’s evident that she has come to terms with where the series ended. With her sharing her views on the conclusion, many viewers may consider her perspective as they reflect on “The Great” going forward.
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