When it comes to zombie movies and TV shows, the Koreans have levelled up… a lot. This all started with the release of Kingdom on Netflix. This TV series catapulted the expectations of viewers on this genre.
Because of its immense success, Kingdom has already gotten a second season and a special spinoff series entitled Kingdom: Ashin of the North. But now, fans are wondering: is Kingdom Season 3 coming out in 2023?
Here's what we know about Kingdom Season 3 right now:
Kingdom Season 3 Release Date: Has It Been Renewed?
Unfortunately, Netflix has neither renewed nor canceled the series. But considering it is one of the most successful Korean zombie dramas on Netflix, it will likely be greenlit for another season.
Not to mention, the end of the spinoff series left behind some pretty important revelations that tied the loose ends from Season 1. Because of this, fans are eagerly awaiting Netflix's formal announcement that they have renewed the series for a third season.
As of this writing, there still hasn't been any movement on the status of Kingdom Season 3. It's possible that filming has been delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When asked about the status of the series, however, showrunner Kim Eun-hee told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2020 interview:
"Because the series deals with a pandemic, I think it's inevitable that the show is compared to the current reality and affected by it, whether it be good or bad. Although the series is a product of the creators' wild imagination, I hope the epidemic will soon be under control like in our series."
Since the show has not been canceled, fans are hopeful that the series will still return for at least one more season. Fans also can't help but wish that filming has secretly started either way.
For now, however, we will have to wait for Netflix's formal announcement on Kingdom Season 3's renewal.
There's also the possibility that Netflix will be exploring the idea of another side series, Kingdom: Crown Prince. This, however, has no recent developments.
What Will Kingdom Season 3 Be About?
In the same interview, Kim Eun-hee gave a short idea of what Kingdom Season 3 will be about. The writer shared her plans to make the key concept of Season 3 the plague's origin.
"Season one told the story of hunger, and season two told the story of blood. If Netflix agrees, I want season three to tell the story of resentment. Season two brought attention to the concept of 'temperature,' and I think if the story were to travel north, the different ecosystems in the north would act as a hint."
We can also expect that Kingdom Season 3 will pick up where it left off in the finale of Season 2. The final episode introduced Ashin (played by Jun Ji-hyun) and kept fans wondering whether she's a good character or a villain.
But as revealed in the spinoff series, Ashin was actually the one responsible for turning an entire village into zombies. It would be interesting how her character will progress in the third season. Not to mention, many are speculating that she'll be the new villain in Season 3.
And then there's the new King of Joseon, Lee Yeom, who seemed to be asymptomatic to the zombie plague. In the finale, we see the young king a bit older than the time the plague started.
Could this be the time that he'll finally turn?
Kingdom Season 3 Cast: Who's Back and Who's Not?
We'll likely see the main stars from the previous two seasons reprise their roles. These include the following:
- Ju Ji-hoon (as Prince Lee Chang)
- Bae Doona (as Seo-bi)
- Kim Sung-kyu (as Yeong-shin jein)
- Jeon Seok-ho (as Cho Beom-pal)
- Jun Ji-hyun (as Ashin)
Is There a Kingdom Season 3 Trailer Online?
Right now, there is no Kingdom Season 3 available online. But we'll be sure to update this article once a trailer is released.
In the meantime, you can watch this Netflix featurette on how Kingdom came to be.
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