Will ‘Apples Never Fall’ Get a Season 2? Sam Neill Unpacks That Twist Ending and More

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for the series finale of “Apples Never Fall.”

Still reeling from that “Apples Never Fall” ending? Well, actor Sam Neill is about to take a bite out of just how that shocking finale came to be – and (surprise) it wasn’t even the original conclusion planned by showrunner Melanie Marnich.

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“Apples Never Fall” strayed from the Liane Moriarty novel source material, and due to the WGA strike in 2023, production was halted in Australia. Showunner Marnich told IndieWire that due to the strike, she was no longer on set as a writer and executive producer, but that the directors and actors continued until the SAG-AFTRA strike subsequently went into effect.

“They were true to the scripts which I really appreciated and they were so respectful,” Marnich recalled. “But then the actor strike hit and we of course shut down. Honestly, when we came back, we came back strong and we finished really strong. It was quite the journey.”

Actor Sam Neill, who plays the presumed wife killer Stan Delaney alongside Annette Bening’s Joy Delaney, revealed that the strikes “gave us a time for some reflection and refinement,” and actually impacted how “Apples Never Fall” concluded.

“There were some changes of direction, which I think were to everybody’s benefit,” Neill said. “When we came back to work, what I thought would be the ending was more or less it, but it was kind of refined. It’s a very interesting ending.”

Neill added that he did not predict how “Apples Never Fall” would wrap up, particularly for his character Stan.

“I didn’t know how it was going to end and it took me by surprise,” the “Jurassic Park” and “In the Mouth of Madness” icon said about the ending, which found Joy very much alive and well and hiding out with Delaney family nemesis Savannah (Georgia Flood) before returning to her husband. “I think a good ending should do that. It shouldn’t be predictable. I think it’ll take a lot of people by surprise. It’s good not to know quite where you’re going.”

As for possible more “Apples Never Fall,” Neill is leaving the door open. Just like how Moriarty’s other novel adaptations “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers” extended beyond the limited series source material, “Apples Never Fall” could continue, with a few caveats.

“It felt like a one off to me but who knows,” Neill said. “These sort of things, I never made decision. But I felt, I felt the story was well told and concludes in a satisfactory way. I think that’s it, but, you know, I’ve been wrong before.”

In the meantime, Neill is continuing as part of the Delaney family text chain with co-stars Bening, Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, and more, and is heading back to his farm and vineyard.

“It’s a world away from my day job as an actor,” Neill said. “I’m very proud of it. Everything we do is organic and we grow our own vegetables and fruit and all that sort of thing. I planted my first vines 30 years ago. It’s a long project and a very rewarding one.”

Could “Apples Never Fall” Season 2 make it to Neill’s farm?

“‘Grapes Are Always Picked,'” Neill joked. “Maybe that’s the next one.”

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