HIS DARK MATERIALS, a title that we almost forgot about, finally returns for its final season. Its second season ended in December 2020. We reported that it was back to work on Season Three in June of 2021. A show with a number of sets, special effects and such takes time of course. But the story is now about to conclude.
The eight-episode third and final season will debut MONDAY, DECEMBER 5 (9:00-11:00pm ET/PT) with two back-to-back episodes on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Two new episodes will debut each week leading up to the series finale on December 26. Well, they decided to burn of the concluding segment in a hurry, didn’t they? Instead of an eight-week run, they will race through it in half the time.
The series was always blocked out to be three seasons long. The source material, a trilogy of novels by Philip Pullman, enabled the production to address a book per season. First was the adaptation of The Northern Lights in 2019 followed by The Subtle Knife in 2020. The last portion of the story, The Amber Spyglass remains. In the final chapter of this epic fantasy series, Lyra (Dafne Keen), the prophesied child, and Will (Amir Wilson), the bearer of The Subtle Knife, must journey to a dark place from which no one has ever returned. As her father’s great war against the Authority edges closer, they will learn that saving the worlds comes at a terrible price. But, of course, it does.
As you can see all the usual players appear. Alongside Keen and Wilson are Ruth Wilson as Mrs. Coulter, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, Simone Kirby as Mary Malone, Will Keen as Father President McPhail, Jade Anouka as Ruta Skadi and Ruta Gedminstas as Serafina Pekkala. Also, the strong voice cast behind the Daemons are included. HBO also wants viewers to note that Lin-Manuel Miranda will return for season three as Lee Scoresby, even though it appears he died in the last episode we saw back in 2020
Other cast members for Season Three include Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Commander Ogunwe, Jamie Ward as Father Gomez, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Simon Harrison and Chipo Chung as the rebel angels Balthamos, Baruch and Xaphania, and Amber Fitzgerald-Woolfe as Ama. Are you ready to end the tale of HIS DARK MATERIALS? There is a battle to be won or lost so keep your Monday nights free in December to see how it all plays out.
