His Dark Materials: Everything you need to know ahead of season 3

His Dark Materials first aired on BBC One in 2019, and three years later the third season is about to be released. 

There has been a delay in the upcoming instalment due to Covid-19, but fans will be pleased to know that the wait is almost over. Hurrah.

Ever since the trailer was released for the final season, everyone has been desperate to know when exactly His Dark Materials will return. 

Here's everything you need to know about season three...

When will His Dark Materials season 3 air? 

His Dark Materials is set to air on 5th December this year for the final instalment. 

The upcoming series will return to the BBC when it hits the small screen, and HBO in America.

His Dark Materials cast

His Dark Materials features a star-studded cast, which includes James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda, with voiceovers from an equally impressive line-up, which included the late Helen McCrory.

While it is unknown for sure who will be returning for the finale, from what we can gather from the trailer it appears James will reprise his role as Lyra’s father Lord Asriel Belacqua, Dafne Keen will continue to portray Lyra Belacqua, while Ruth portrays her on-screen mother Marisa Coulter. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda stars as Lee Scoresby, Amir Wilson as Will Parry and Ariyon Bakare as Carlo Boreal.

What can fans expect in His Dark Materials season three?

His Dark Materials is centred on The Amber Spyglass, written by Philip Pullman, which is the third book in the trilogy. 

The trailer for the upcoming BBC release is filled with action, so one thing we do know is it is going to have you sitting on the edge of your seat. 

In the snippet, Lord Asriel - played by James McAvoy - appears to be set on war, despite what his advisors say. 

All the while his daughter Lyra, played by Dafne, and Will, portrayed by Amir, are contemplating something major, which could see their friendship torn apart and lost forever.

Elsewhere, Marisa is hellbent on proving to Lyra she has done everything in her power to protect her. 

James has teased in a previous interview with BBC’s The One Show that the upcoming series is action packed. 

He said: “What can I tell you? It’s war. At the end of the second season we sort of declare war on the Kingdom of Heaven, so yeah it gets pretty down and dirty, and there’s gonna be a lot of fisticuffs and a lot of explosions and all that stuff.

“But at its heart it’s about a wee girl and a wee boy… and not the adults with the egos.”

What has happened in His Dark Materials so far?

For those who have yet to watch His Dark Materials, or need a little refresher, we have you covered. 

In short His Dark Materials is centred on the fictional books by Philip Pullman. 

In the trilogy it includes Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, which have been serialised into the BBC series. 

The first season saw viewers introduced to Lyra as an orphan who lives in a magical parallel universe. 

However, Lyra uncovers a mystery around stolen children. 

Her journey continues in season two when Lyra befriends Will, who has the power to traverse different worlds using his knife, which could be to his detriment in season three - wait and see. 

Lyra discovers the truth about her parents and their plans for her future destiny, meanwhile Lyra and Will get caught in a war of celestial powers which spans across various worlds, all to be continued in the final season...