BBC One and HBO today announce that the internationally successful co-production His Dark Materials, has been commissioned for a third season from Bad Wolf and will commence production in Cardiff in 2021.
The commission will be based on The Amber Spyglass, the third part of Philip Pullman’s original trilogy of novels, and will star Dafne Keene as Lyra, Amir Wilson as Will, Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter, Simone Kirby as Mary Malone, Ruta Gedmintas as Serafina Pekkala, Jade Anouka as Ruta Skadi and James McAvoy as Lord Asriel.
The series will once again be helmed by Executive Producers Jane Tranter and Dan McCulloch for Bad Wolf. Lead screenwriter Jack Thorne will be joined as Executive Producer by season two writer Francesca Gardner, with Amelia Spencer as a new addition to the scriptwriting team. Joel Collins will continue as Production Designer and Executive Producer on the third instalment.
Ben Irving, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor, Wales, say: “It’s been a joy to see how His Dark Materials has brought British TV audiences of all ages together on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
“Fans of Phillip Pullman’s incredible books, and newcomers alike, have been enthralled by adventuring with Lyra and Will through multiple worlds. We are thrilled that they will be able to continue their journey in a third series of this beautifully realised drama. Our thanks to our partners at HBO and the dedicated creative team at Bad Wolf for making a landmark series that will continue to be watched and enjoyed on the BBC for years to come.”
Jane Tranter, Executive Producer for Bad Wolf, says: “His Dark Materials has been a truly global TV experience and a personal career highlight. The creative team at Bad Wolf in Cardiff made the impossible possible and brought Philip Pullman’s worlds into vivid life. To see that hard work and dedication applauded and embraced by fans around the world has made all the hard work worthwhile.
“None of this would have been possible without the wonderful commitment and conviction of the BBC and HBO. I am excited, thrilled and honoured to be making the third part of Philip Pullman’s trilogy with their support and encouragement. Diolch.”
Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, says: “Bringing Phillip Pullman’s epic, intricate and culturally resonant body of work to television has been a tremendous privilege. We thank our incredible partners at the BBC and the entire Bad Wolf team, led by the indefatigable Jane Tranter, for their exceptional work on the first two seasons. We look forward to completing the trilogy with this final chapter in Lyra’s journey.”
Philip Pullman’s award-winning trilogy of the same name, is considered a modern masterpiece of imaginative fiction and has sold over 18 million copies worldwide. His Dark Materials series two launched in the UK with over 5.8 million viewers on BBC One and, to date, both series have been requested over 30 million times on BBC iPlayer, with numbers increasing throughout series two.
His Dark Materials is produced by Bad Wolf in association with New Line Cinema for BBC One and HBO. Executive producing the series are Jane Tranter, Dan McCulloch, Ryan Rasmussen, Julie Gardner and Joel Collins for Bad Wolf; Philip Pullman, Jack Thorne and Francesca Gardner; Deborah Forte; Toby Emmerich and Carolyn Blackwood for New Line Cinema; and Ben Irving for the BBC.
