The Orville: New Horizons Season 3 pushed the franchise to the next level, and when it ended, there was a lot of optimism we'd watch Season 4 with our Disney+ subscriptions before too long. It seems clear at this point it's not going to be a part of the 2025 TV schedule, but there was reason to be optimistic about it eventually returning.
Beyond the fact that The Orville Season 3 ended in a way that opened the story up to more adventures, some news from a cast member last year hinted we should be hearing an update on Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi series pretty soon. Let's revisit what we know and what it means for the new year.
Scott Grimes Claimed The Orville Would Enter Pre-Production For Season 4 In 2025
Some may not remember, but The Orville last aired in August 2022, and we've been desperate for details on a renewal since then. Granted, before Season 3 even came around, rumors about the show's cancellation had fans on edge, though such rumors were later refuted. There was a lot of hope from actors, along with encouraging words from Seth MacFarlane, but it wasn't until August 2024 that star Scott Grimes shared the most promising Season 4 news.
Grimes, during a singing performance at Star Trek Las Vegas, announced The Orville would enter pre-production for Season 4 in "early 2025." While no official confirmation has surfaced since to support his claims, the actor has worked so closely with Seth MacFarlane over the years on American Dad and Peacock's Ted in addition to his role on the sci-fi show, so it seemed his ear-to-the-ground would be a good source of reliable expectations. That said, the fact that neither MacFarlane or Disney has confirmed Season 4 remains disappointing, though not entirely unexpected.
When Will We Get News About The Orville: New Horizons?
Assuming Scott Grimes wasn't innocently mistaken, pre-production very well could be in its earliest stages. The Orville hasn't streamed a new episode in two years, but it's been out of production even longer. This would be the time where Seth MacFarlane & Co. iron out storylines, secure cast members who can return to the fold (since some may not be up to return), and figure out how to utilize whatever budget the producters will have to work with this season.
If and when all that's settled, filming could start later in 2025. Is all of this going to be decided in early January? Not unless the majority of it was set in stone while Season 3 was still being crafted.
. All of that said, I would expect some patience and wouldn't expect to see actors on sets or anything of that nature for quite some time. If this news is true, and I don't think Scott Grimes would have a reason to lie or even tell fans anything he wasn't sure about, maybe Disney or Seth MacFarlane will make more formal announcements in the coming weeks and finally confirm that The Orville Season 4 is happening.
At this point, I would just be thrilled to hear it's not canceled, and hopefully, we'll get that confirmation before this summer. Or, it'll all fall apart, and we'll hear it's canceled. Or, there's a third option, which is that the show is kept in limbo, but I'm sick of that phase, so I'm hoping for any reality other than that.
Until confirmation, The Orville is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. If fans start watching the show en masse, it may rush along the approval process and get the ball rolling faster.
