Showtime announced today that the network has given the green light to Yellowjackets Season 3 ahead of the highly-anticipated second season, which premieres starting Friday, March 24 on streaming and on demand for all Showtime subscribers, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Season one, which has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and received seven Emmy nominations, averaged over 5 million weekly viewers across platforms and was the second-most streamed series in Showtime history.
“With Yellowjackets’ runaway success in season one and the pent-up anticipation for season two, we wanted to maximize the momentum by fast tracking season three now,” said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO, Showtime and Paramount Media Networks.
“The show’s ambition is only exceeded by its execution, and I thank the incredible creative team behind it, including Ashley, Bart, Jonathan, eOne and the Showtime team, for turning this into such a success.”
Produced for Showtime by studio Entertainment One (eOne), the series is currently in production in Vancouver.
Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), Yellowjackets stars Emmy nominee and Critics Choice Award winner Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), Oscar and Emmy nominee Juliette Lewis (Camping), Emmy nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable).
Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under, Servant) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi) have also joined the second season as series regulars, along with Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) in a season-long guest arc.
Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness.
The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.
Season two also stars Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect), Samantha Hanratty (Shameless), Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road), Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet), Steven Krueger (The Originals), Warren Kole (Shades of Blue) and Kevin Alves.
Yellowjackets Season 3 is executive produced by Lyle, Nickerson and fellow showrunner Jonathan Lisco.
Drew Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer. Karyn Kusama directed the pilot.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.