Fox delays Chicago-made series ‘neXt’ to avoid being ‘lost in the shuffle’

The creator of “neXt,” the sci-fi thriller series that wrapped up production earlier this year in Chicago, says Fox made the right call in moving its premiere to fall.

The series, which focuses on the emergence of a rogue artificial intelligence, will premiere sometime in September, according to showrunner Manny Coto.

“neXt” stars John Slattery (“Mad Men”) as the tech pioneer who created the titular A.I. and Fernanda Andrade (“The Devil Inside”) as a federal agent who teams up with him to try to contain the threat.

“It’s a wild ride, and it is a thriller that doesn’t let you go once it gets going, from the start to the end,” Coto said.

The series was shot largely at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios on the West Side and was scheduled to premiere in May before being pushed back to the fall.

Coto said the network made the move in order to better showcase and promote “neXt” without the distractions of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think there was a little bit of a feeling that to just kind of throw it out in May, with all that’s happening, it would just get lost in the shuffle,” Coto said. “And I think nobody wanted that to happen, honestly. Now, there could be other reasons, but that’s what we talked about, and it feels like that’s the right choice.”

Coto credits the Chicago crew and production staff with making the show special and said he hopes to bring production back to the city if “neXt” gets renewed for a second season.

“They just did a fantastic job,” he said. “It just gets better and better. I’m anxious for people to see it. I hope they like it. I really am so proud of it.”

“neXt” will join Southern Gothic soap “Filthy Rich” as new series premiering on Fox this fall, in addition to new seasons of “The Masked Singer,” “The Simpsons,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Bless the Harts,” “MasterChef Junior” and “Family Guy,” according to the network.

“neXt” will air Monday nights on Fox.