HBO renewed its hit show "Succession " for a third season.- Following a string of pandemic-induced delays, the new episodes will premiere on October 17.
- The main cast members will return for season three, along with several new additions.
Warning: This article contains spoilers about the first two seasons of "Succession."
HBO's satirical drama "Succession" is set to return with its third season on October 17.
The Jesse Armstrong-created series will pick right back up on the Roy siblings' ruthless battle for control of Waystar RoyCo, their aging father's media and hospitality conglomerate.
Though the much anticipated third season has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, "Succession" is returning on the heels of widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike.
The series has scored a total of 23 Emmy nominations and nine Emmy wins, including victories in major categories like outstanding drama series and best lead actor in a drama series.
It also won best drama series and best television actor in a drama series at the 2020 Golden Globes, along with a slew of accolades at other award shows.
Here's a guide to what we know so far about the upcoming season of "Succession."
Season 3 will premiere in October following a series of delays
After HBO announced its decision to renew "Succession" for a third season in August 2019, the show's fans are finally getting the next round of episodes in fall 2021, Casey Bloys, HBO Max chief content officer, told reporters according to The Wrap.
The network later confirmed on Twitter that the show will premiere on October 17.
-Succession (@succession) September 13, 2021
"Succession" was initially scheduled to begin filming the new episodes in April 2020 in time for a late-summer premiere. The season three timeline was cast into limbo, however, after pre-production shut down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The "Succession" team briefly considered shooting the series in Los Angeles instead of New York, as Bloys told Deadline that the West Coast seemed safer than the East Coast early in the pandemic.
But as the number of COVID-19 cases ticked up in Los Angeles, he said they decided against switching filming locations.
Armstrong told Variety in August that he hoped to start shooting in New York before Christmas but said plans weren't set in stone. And in February, Bloys confirmed that the cast and crew had resumed filming season three in New York City.
According to actor Brian Cox, this season could be shorter than the two preceding it, which each included 10 episodes. The Emmy winner, who plays patriarch Logan Roy on the show, told The New York Times in July that he wasn't sure how many episodes will be in season three but said it's in the "ballpark" of eight or nine.
"But of course we have to see how the current crisis affects the writing and what we take on board," he added.
Viewers can expect to see minor details related to the pandemic, such as masks and hand sanitizer, in the background of season three, Sarah Snook, who plays Shiv Roy, told Variety.
However, she said Armstrong is taking a "delicate" and "classy" approach to handling the topic rather than being "overt."
"We want to see the Roys doing the thing that they've been doing that we love, not pivoting towards a pandemic story," she explained.
HBO provided an early glimpse at season three in July 2021, releasing the first teaser for the new episodes of "Succession." In the trailer, the Roy siblings "go to battle in armor" against their father for control of Waystar Royco.
The twist in the season 2 finale set up the storyline for the upcoming season
In the season two finale, "This Is Not for Tears," the Roy family decides that Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) will take the fall for a colossal cover-up at Waystar RoyCo. In the final moments of the episode, he stuns the public, and his family, by exposing his father as the true culprit in the middle of a televised press conference.
The twist laid the foundation for season three of the show.
"There are a lot of conversations about what the season two ending means for that particular relationship," Lucy Prebble, "Succession" writer and coexecutive producer, told Deadline of the fictional father-son duo.
Cox said that he was the first actor to learn what happens to the Roy family and the individuals in their orbit ahead of season three.
"I nearly fell off my chair because he never tells you about the next series. We never knew from episode to episode what was going to happen," the actor said on SiriusXM's "The Jess Cagle Show."
He continued, "But then he told me. And it's jolly thrilling. That's all I can say."
Matthew Macfadyen, who plays Tom Wambsgans, later described the upcoming season as "very exciting."
"It's in a really mouth-watering place, because it's so beautifully set up with Jeremy's twist at the end," he told Rob Brydon in November, adding, "It looks like cousin Greg has gone to Team Kendall."
Roman, the youngest Roy sibling, may have a larger role this season
The "Succession" writers, cast, and crew have been tight-lipped about where the story will go in the third season.
But after identifying the early signs of a pattern that emerged in seasons one and two, some fans are speculating that Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) will have a larger role in the upcoming episodes.
Because Kendall seemed to be a shoo-in to inherit the company in season one before Shiv took over as the frontrunner in season two, fans have theorized that Logan's youngest child will be next to get a shot at securing the top position at Waystar RoyCo.
During an October 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Culkin said he brought up the same thought to Cox while they were on set.
"I told him toward the end of the season, we were shooting episode 7 or 8 or something like that, that was my theory. I said, 'Well if you look in the first season, [it seemed] that Kendall was going to be his guy, and then he wasn't. Then this year, it seems like Shiv is going to be the guy and now it's starting to look like she's not,'" Culkin recalled.
He continued, "And this is before I knew where it was going. I said, 'So, maybe next year is Roman's turn.'"
The main cast members will reprise their roles - and they reportedly got major pay bumps
The ensemble cast - Cox as Logan, Strong as Kendall, Culkin as Roman, Snook as Shiv, Alan Ruck as Connor Roy, Macfadyen as Tom, Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch, and more - will reprise their roles on season three.
Multiple sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the series' leading actors independently negotiated higher salaries ahead of season three.
The sources reported that most of the actors ended up landing in the range of between $300,000 to $350,000 per episode, a significant increase from the $100,000 per episode most of them were said to have earned before.
The outlet added that Cox secured the highest salary amongst the "Succession" cast.
Three cast members with recurring roles in the first two seasons - Justine Lupe (Willa Ferreyra), David Rasche (Karl Muller), and Fisher Stevens (Hugo Baker) - were promoted to series regulars for season three, per Deadline.
Several new characters will be introduced in the show's third season
There will be numerous brand new additions to the "Succession" cast on season three, according to a Deadline report published in January.
Sanaa Lathan will take on a role as Lisa Arthur, a high-power New York attorney; Linda Emond has been cast as Michelle-Anne Vanderhoven, a senior White House aide; and Jihae will appear as Berry Schneider, a public relations professional.
Months later, multiple outlets reported that Alexander Skarsgård will play Lukas Matsson, a tech entrepreneur and CEO, and Adrien Brody will join the "Succession" cast as Josh Aaronson, a wealthy activist investor.
HBO hasn't confirmed how many 'Succession' seasons there will be
The number of seasons ahead for the award-winning drama remains unconfirmed, but Armstrong said the war for control of Waystar RoyCo will ultimately determine the show's trajectory.
"I think it's not the sort of show which should go on forever, because there's a question set up in the title of the show and I think it's a question you eventually want answered," he told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the season two premiere.
He added, "So, I wouldn't say that it should go on forever, but we certainly haven't run out of ideas when we've met in the writers' room so far."