Good news, fans of dæmons, dust, along with distinct dimensions – the BBC and HBO’s adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy has been formally confirmed because of its next (and probably final) season. Where Series 1 adapted Northern Lights and Series 2 focused on The Subtle Knife, executive producers Jane Tranter and Dan McCulloch and direct screenwriter Jack Thorne will be heading right into The Amber Spyglass territory for Series 3. It’s a wildly ambitious and gargantuan-of-scale final chapter in Lyra and Will’s narrative.
“It’s been a joy to see how His Dark Materials has brought British TV audiences of all ages together,” says the BBC’s Ben Irving. “Fans of Phillip Pullman’s incredible novels, and newcomers alike, have been enthralled by adventuring with Lyra and Will through numerous worlds. We are thrilled that they are going to have the ability to continue their travel in the third set of this beautifully realized drama. Our thanks to our partners in HBO along with the committed creative staff at Bad Wolf for creating a landmark series that will continue to be viewed and appreciated on the BBC for a long time to come.”
If Series 2 enlarged the area of His Dark Materials considerably – heading further into the multiple-world-hopping premise – then people who’ve read the books will understand that Series 3 is even bigger still. With even weirder and wilder new worlds, near-unimaginable creatures, the culmination of those theological quandaries, and a looming fantastical war, it is going to be a major effort to wrestle all to the screen. Dafne Keen will return as Lyra, together with Amir Wilson as Will, Ruth Wilson as Mrs. Coulter, and Simone Kirby as Mary Malone. Plus, James McAvoy will appear more this time as Lord Asriel – he had a minimum presence in Series 2, particularly since an incident solely focused on his character had to be cut as a result of the pandemic.
His Dark Materials Series 3 will start in 2021 – if it’ll be ready to broadcast by the end of that year remains to be seen, though this could be one to look forward to in 2022 instead.
