Following the concluding part of series two, His Dark Materials series three has been announced by the BBC

His Dark Materials has just finished on BBC 1, and brought several dramatic changes of fortune for Lyra (Dafne Keen), Will (Amir Wilson), several witches, Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and John Parry (Andrew Scott). Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson, pictured) seems to have achieved her immediate goals, while Asrael (James McAvoy) is gathering forces for the greatest battle of all. Well, it’s no surprise the BBC has commissioned a His Dark Materials series three, based on Philip Pullman’s final novel in the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass.

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.”

It’s obviously too early to know when the series will be filmed, but we assume the BBC intends (Covid-19 permitting) a late 2021 date. We’ll keep you posted; until then the full BBC statement is here.