Yellowjackets Season 3 Writers Room Opens Now That Strike Is Over

The Writers Guild of America strike came to an end last week, meaning that writing work can now officially restart on a number of upcoming movies and television shows. A number of shows were renewed right before or during the strike, and it looks like a few are already getting off the ground — including the highly-anticipated third season of Yellowjackets. According to a new report, the writers room has reopened for Season 3 of Yellowjackets, after only one day of work on the new season had occurred prior to the strike.

“We had actually started the first day of the [writers] room on a Monday, and so obviously we left the room and stopped kind of working on [Yellowjackets] Season 3,” co-creator Bart Nickerson explained at the time. “So it’s definitely going to delay it for as long as the strike lasts.”

When Will Yellowjackets Season 3 Debut?

Yellowjackets was renewed for a third season well before Season 2 even premiered, in part because the show has been repeatedly breaking viewership records for Showtime. Just weeks after Season 2 of Yellowjackets wrapped, co-creator Ashley Lyle revealed via social media that a bonus episode will be debuting at some point between Season 2 and Season 3, although a release date for that has yet to be set.

“With Yellowjackets‘ runaway success in Season 1 and the pent-up anticipation for Season 2, we wanted to maximize the momentum by fast-tracking Season 3 now,” Chris McCarthy, President/CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media Networks, explained last year. “The show’s ambition is only exceeded by its execution, and I thank the incredible creative team behind it, including Ashley, Bart, Jonathan, eOne, and the Showtime team, for turning this into such a success.” 

What Will Yellowjackets‘ Bonus Episode Be About?

It’s anyone’s guess as to exactly what the bonus episode of Yellowjackets could have in store, especially given the definitive and shocking twists of the Season 2 finale. Other shows have often used the bonus episode device to do some sort of “very special” standalone episode — so maybe a Yellowjackets holiday special or some other themed premise might be in the cards. Yellowjackets director and producer Karyn Kusama also recently teased that the show will further explore the immediate aftermath of the surviving team members returning to society.

“I’ve been so excited by this,” Kusama revealed. “The concept of that immediate aftermath of re-entry into the world, to me, there’s a whole season worth of material there. And the fact that this is such a long game that each of these characters is facing, in terms of reorienting themselves to whatever normalcy is supposed to be. I’m sure we’re going to learn that their normal is a lot different than our normal… There’s a lot that needs to be figured out between Season 2 and Season 3.”

What do you think of the latest update surrounding Yellowjackets Season 3? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!