'Ray Donovan' Season 8: Everything We Know So Far

Ray Donovan is an American crime drama series that first premiered in June 2013. The show follows the eponymous Ray Donovan who works as a mediator for a law firm that handles celebrities and wealthy clients. Ray may be an expert in solving other people's problems, but he has no control over his personal issues, especially in terms of the relationships he shares with his wife and then his father who is unexpectedly released from prison.

The series aired on Showtime and was well-received by the audience. The pilot episode of the show broke viewership records and it became the biggest premiere of all time on Showtime. Since then it has had seven seasons. As for the future of Ray Donovan, here's what you need to know:

Will There Be Season 8 Of Ray Donovan?

The seventh season of the show premiered on November 17, 2019, and concluded on January 19, 2020. Fans of the show were aware that the show was supposed to have eight seasons with the eighth one being the final one. But it did not turn out that way. Following the conclusion of the seventh season, Showtime made a surprising announcement that there would be no eighth season, with the seventh serving as the last one. 

“After seven incredible seasons, Ray Donovan has concluded its run on Showtime,” the network said in a statement. “We are proud that the series ended amid such strong viewership and on such a powerful note. Our deepest thanks go to Liev Schreiber, Jon Voight, showrunner David Hollander, and the entire cast and crew, past and present, for their dedicated work.” Hollander was as surprised by Showtime's decision as the fans of the show were. "The corporate elements of show business are complicated and often mired in things that will never be spoken out loud,” he said at the time. “I think the easiest external impact was the merger. Whatever new environment grew from the merger clearly had some impact on their choice…" 

With the showrunner left unsatisfied, who also stated,  "There was no sense that this was going to be a completion. This was in no way a series finale," there had to be a better ending to the highly successful show.

What Is In Store For Ray Donovan's Future?

Fans were proactive in demanding answers from the abrupt ending of the show. As a response, a follow-up television film was announced by Showtime. Showtime’s President of Entertainment Gary Levine promised viewers a satisfying ending with the movie and stated: “We did hear from fans, and we are nothing if not responsive to our audience. I think this Ray Donovan two-hour movie will go a long way to making that landing more graceful.” The film debuted on January 14, 2022, on Showtime.

That's not all for fans of the show. Netflix India adapted the story of Ray Donovan into a film titled Rana Naidu. It starred actor Rana Daggubati (Bahubali), who shared screen time for the first time with his uncle, and Telugu film star Venkatesh Daggubati, Deadline reported. The film premiered on March 10, 2023.

This article was reviewed and is up to date as of March 27, 2024.