Hap and Leonard renewed by SundanceTV for season 3
In a statement, show co-creator and executive producer Jim Mickle had the following to say:
“We’re beyond psyched to bring the boys back for a third helping of mayhem … It’s a show that doesn’t fold up neatly into one defined box and that’s what makes it special, so thanks to SundanceTV for believing in it and championing it from day one. We also owe a big thank you to the fans for the phenomenal response so far.”
This news excites us greatly after Hap and Leonard delivered recently an excellent second season that followed along a complex mystery haunting its small East-Texas town. It effectively transitioned from a first season that was very high-octane but also detached from much of the surrounding world. Because of the way in which season 2 ended (i.e. there were actually more people alive), there may be more of an opportunity to use characters moving into season 3.
Ultimately, our biggest hope is that Hap and Leonard gets to run in accordance of the number of books there are in the series; maybe that’s ambitious, but there are several reasons why this show could be one to pull it off. For example, we do think that the shortened episode run helps them out tremendously in that it allows the cast a unique opportunity to be able to tell some of these stories without it becoming overwhelming for the cast or crew.
As far as the commercial success of the show, Deadline reports that Hap and Leonard is the top-rated original series on SundanceTV. It’s a big performer for them in terms of DVR ratings, and the fact that AMC Studios owns the show 100% makes it all the easier to bring it back since they’re not sharing the profits anywhere else.
The reference to The Two-Bear Mambo in the title is a signal as to where the series is going to go next. There was a brief tease of that in the cliffhanger of the season finale with the Ku Klux Klan. You can read our full review of the final episode over at the link here.
In other SundanceTV news – The network has also ordered a third season of “Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter,” their nonfiction series featuring a wide array of different entertainment-related discussions.
What do you think about the renewal, and what are you hoping for from the upcoming third season? Share now in the comments! (Photo: SundanceTV.)