The confirmed 8-part series based on Philip Pullman’s final novel in the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass as new worlds beckon for Lyra, Will, Mrs Coulter, Mary Malone and Lord Asriel.
This series will see Will, played once again by Amir Wilson, the bearer of The Subtle Knife and Lyra, played once again by Dafne Keen, the prophesied child, travel through multiple worlds to find and protect each other.
At the end of season two, we saw Lord Asriel call upon the angels to help him wage a war against the Kingdom of Heaven as Mrs Coulter abducted her daughter Lyra to take her to ‘safety’ in their own world.
Season three opens with Lyra unconscious, having been given a sleeping draught by her mother, as Will, still carrying the Subtle Knife, continues his quest to find her.
Will is tracked down by two angels - Balthamos and Baruch – who wish to take him to join Lord Asriel’s campaign against The Authority with Commander Ogunwe.
But Will is not the only one after Lyra, with Father President MacPhail continuing his mission to destroy the child of the prophecy, employing the help of his most committed follower, Father Gomez.
Meanwhile, Oxford physicist Mary Malone reaches another parallel world – that of the Mulefa, a strange animal-like species. They tell her of a cataclysmic phenomenon in their world.
With multiple new worlds, including the Land of the Dead, returning characters and featuring strange new creatures the Mulefa and Gallivespians, the third season will bring Philip Pullman’s masterpiece to a dramatic conclusion.
The new cast for season three includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Commander Ogunwe and Jamie Ward as Father Gomez. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Simon Harrison, and Chipo Chung are the rebel angels Balthamos, Baruch and Xaphania; while Ama will be played by Amber Fitzgerald-Woolfe.
The returning cast also includes Will Keen as Father President MacPhail, Jade Anouka as Ruta Skadi and Ruta Gedmintas as Serafina Pekkala.
Amit Gupta will lead as director of the opening two episodes to be followed by Charles Martin and Weronika Tofilska, with production once again taking place in the sound stages at Wolf Studios Wales and on location throughout Wales and England.
The season will once again be helmed by Executive Producers Jane Tranter and Dan McCulloch for Bad Wolf. Writers Jack Thorne and Francesca Gardiner will both Executive Produce, with Amelia Spencer joining as writer and consulting producer.
Also, executive producing the series are Ryan Rasmussen, Julie Gardner and Joel Collins for Bad Wolf; Philip Pullman; Deborah Forte; Toby Emmerich and Carolyn Blackwood for New Line Cinema; and Ben Irving for the BBC.
Joel Collins returns as production designer and Executive Producer, with Russell Dodgson as series VFX supervisor for Framestore and Dan May as VFX art director and pre-vis supervisor for Painting Practice.
Kahleen Crawford and Dan Jackson return as casting directors, Caroline McCall as costume designer and Claire Williams joins the BAFTA award winning creative team as hair and make-up designer. The series producer is Nick Pitt and producer is Stephen Haren.
His Dark Materials is produced by Bad Wolf in association with New Line Cinema for BBC One and HBO with support of Welsh Government funding through Creative Wales.
His Dark Materials will return on BBC One