Kingdom season 3 on Netflix potential release date and more

Kingdom spoilers follow.

Outside of South Korea, Netflix has steadily become the best place to watch Korean TV, and the jewel in its crown is Kingdom.

The zombie-show-slash-period-drama puts The Walking Dead to shame when it comes to rabid pacing and genuine scares, so much so that there was a very real possibility that the series would never see the light of day.

“Before Train to Busan, even in the film industry, the dominant notion was that the zombie genre was a niche genre that appealed to only a small group of fans,” Kingdom writer Kim Eun-hee told The Hollywood Reporter.

“This was even more so for drama series. In Korea, TV dramas are usually aired on the so-called public broadcasting stations, and these channels are usually watched by families, meaning that shows are usually rated lower for a wider audience and are evaluated with stricter rules.

“Needless to say, gory scenes that show harming of dead bodies were taboo. Under such circumstances, it was nearly impossible for a zombie show in which zombies can only be stopped by decapitation to be made into a drama series.”

Netflix

The Cho Hak-ju actor Ryu Seung-ryong admits to being surprised by the show’s success:

“Oh my god! It was completely unexpected and I was very pleased and very honored to have Kingdom, or something that is very, very familiar to us, be so loved by global audiences.

“It was yet another opportunity for us to learn that when it comes to good quality content, language and culture [barriers] aren’t going to stop [people from enjoying them],” (via Cosmopolitan).

If the season two finale or the ‘Ashin of the North’ special were anything to go by, then it won’t be long until Kingdom is officially renewed for even more episodes. After all, Netflix was confident enough to order season two before the first chapter even dropped, so it’s only a matter of time before the royal decree is passed.

Director Kim Seong-hun explained that ‘Ashin of the North’ exists as a bridge into the third season (via Philstar)

“So through Kingdom seasons one and two, topics like thirst for power, hunger, bloodlines were covered. And in order to leap to season three, I thought something new was needed.

“‘Ashin of the North’, the special episode, goes back to the entire reason of why these themes occur. Through new characters and new situations, new conflicts arise, and I think that is what motivates us to go to the next season and that’s why I said it was like a stepping stone.”

Writer Kim Eun-hee also underlined the importance of the special episode, describing it as “the beginning of everything, the root of it all”.

She explained: “Han is the unforgettable feeling of anguish and hurtfulness. It’s kind of like getting a cut in your gut. Yes, I always wanted to write a story about the feeling of Han. And in the previous seasons, it’s usually focused on the dominating power such as Prince Chang and the established people who lead the story.

“And then I came to think of the northern part of Joseon and the ones who are actually dominated by these people. So regardless of whether it is Joseon or another country, I think the people who are dominated have that same feeling (of Han).

“When you look at the story behind Ashin (the character), it is a very long and complex story. Because it is such an overarching story with a long timeline, when you actually look at the chronological aspect of it, I felt that rather than incorporate it into the third season, it would be more audience-friendly and conducive for higher quality content if we were to offer it as a special episode.”

Speaking about the level of anticipation for season three, Kim said, “I would be lying if there’s no pressure. Pressure is inevitable at this point. However, I do feel that it is nearly impossible to create something that, if you show the content to 100 people, all of them love it. ”

That said, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she has enough ideas to span a whole lot further than three seasons.

“Strangely enough, Kingdom is a series that gives me more energy the more I write it,” she said. “The cast and crew all have great chemistry, and there’s so much more to tell. If viewers allow, I would love to see it develop even up to season 10.”

But that’s currently a distant dream. We’re here to talk about season three and what we can expect from the currently unconfirmed third instalment.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Kingdom season 3 potential release date: When will it return on Netflix?

JUHAN NOH

Netflix

Unfortunately, as of May 2022, there has been no news about when Kingdom season three will materialise. Technically, it still hasn’t been given that all-important renewal.

Kingdom first premiered in January 2019, and season two arrived just over a year later in March 2020. Based on this schedule alone, we initially expected new episodes to arrive early 2021.

However, the TV industry is facing an unprecedented number of delays and setbacks due to Covid.

At least fans weren’t left totally empty handed, with the release of ‘Ashin of the North’ in July 2021. But according to stats site FlixPatrol, the one-off film didn’t make a major dent on the service as a whole.

Despite a strong fanbase, it failed to reach the overall Top 10 in some of Netflix’s major targeted territories, including the United States and the United Kingdom. In South Korea, it stayed in the top 10 for 19 days, with Hong Kong coming shortly after with a 14 day streak.

Typically, Netflix judges show futures by their first 28 days on the site. So to have it drop off the radar doesn’t look good. It did fare slightly better in their film top 10, holding its place in South Korea for an impressive 88 days, Hong Kong and Taiwan 31 days, but again, everywhere else it barely touched the two-week mark.

Chatting to The Hollywood Reporter about comparisons between Kingdom and the current real-world situation, Kim Eun-hee said: “Because the series deals with a pandemic, I think it’s inevitable that the show is compared to the current reality and affected by it, whether it be good or bad.

“Although the series is a product of the creators’ wild imagination, I hope the epidemic will soon be under control like in our series.”

JUHAN NOH

Netflix

But she went on to say that the plague isn’t the central focus of the series.

“While Kingdom deals with a plague, I tried to put more focus on the story of the people that respond to it rather than the plague itself,” she said. “Some fight it, some give up, and some use it to rise to power. If viewers were to focus more on those characters, I think it could alleviate the fear toward the epidemic.”

Park In-je added: “I don’t think people would hesitate to watch the series because it deals with a pandemic; I think they’ll accept it as a genre [series].

“Kingdom has strong entertainment value, and I think Korean viewers no longer feel unfamiliar with the zombie genre. I also think it being a period piece, which many are familiar with, helps lower the barrier.

“I hope at least when the viewers are watching Kingdom, that they can really enjoy themselves.”

Certain political ideologies that we see in the show have also gained new relevance of late.

“I thought a lot about ‘what is politics’ when I was writing Kingdom,” Kim Eun-hee told Forbes.

“I wanted audiences to think about the scale and level of the impact of corrupt power on the everyday lives of people.”

We promise to update you as soon as we know any more.

Kingdom season 3 cast: Who will be in it?

JUHAN NOH

Netflix

It’s unlikely that Ju Ji-hoon will be leaving the franchise anytime soon. When asked why Kingdom is so successful and what it has meant to him and his career, the actor replied:

“Kingdom is unique in that it is a very successful mix of film and drama series. And I think that finding the midpoint between the two genres really brought out a lot of the positive aspects of each one. And it is also very interesting. I am really satisfied with the outcome.

“In terms of what being a part of Kingdom has done for me, just look at us today; thanks to Kingdom I’m sitting right here in this chair, video conferencing you guys,” (via Cosmo).

So odds are the Crown Prince is safe.

While a few favourites bit the dust in season two, a number of familiar faces will likely return in season three. Joining Ju Ji Hoon will likely be the following:

• Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak-ju
• Bae Doona as Seo-bi
• Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong-shin
• Jeon Seok-ho as Cho Beom-pal
• Park Byung-eun as Min Chi-rok

In the very last scene of season two, South Korean star Jun Ji-hyun also appeared in a mysterious new role, which all but confirms that Kingdom will indeed return for a third season.

And now, prior to the release of a whole new season, Netflix has aired a new feature-length episode that bridges the gap between seasons two and three while revealing the true identity of Jun Ji-hyun’s character – Ashin of the North.

‘Ashin of the North’ is a prequel episode that takes us back to Ashin’s childhood. There we discover exactly how the virus was first transmitted to humans and we also learn more about why Ashin is so keen to spread chaos across the country.

Kingdom season 3 plot: What will the third season be about?

JUHAN NOH

Netflix

It’s likely that season three will pick up right where season two left off, seven years and three months after the initial zombie outbreak.

Ashin, the mysterious plant seller, will certainly play a key role in future events, but her exact role is yet to be determined. Does Jun Ji-hyun’s character just want to spread chaos everywhere she goes? Or is she trying to spread zombie-ism so that China can invade and take over a weakened nation?

Whatever happens, expect the new Prince to appear more in season three too. As a baby, he was immune to the worms that cause zombie-ism, but now that he’s grown older, it looks like one remaining parasite has now moved up to his brain.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the prince will transform into a monster though. His case is extremely unusual, and given how long the worm has already been in his system, the boy could become some kind of strange, zombie/human hybrid instead.

Kingdom writer Kim Eun-hee teased more plot details during a recent interview (as quoted by Soompi):

“Those who have watched will know, but people like Lee Chang, Seo-bi, and Yeong-shin are all people who chase the plague, wishing it never arose. I’ve thought that having season three tell the story of chasing the origin of the plague would be good, so we’re thinking of doing that.”

As for Seo-bi, creators may have a tight lid on the finite details of season three but we can expect her to be just as un-formidable.

“She’s unstoppable and she’s very tenacious or stubborn in a sense, [especially] when doing what she believes is the right thing to do,” said Bae Doona during the same Cosmo interview.

“That kind of tenacity and stubbornness is something that I truly admire in her, and also the fact that she doesn’t like to make a big show of what she’s doing. She’s also a very smart character. Those are all the things that I admire in her.”

When we last saw Seo-bi things weren’t looking so good. It was seven years after she ‘saved’ the then baby Prince who we learn in the finale may still have become infected. Though the news hasn’t reached her of his fate she has other things to contend with.

An older version of herself and Chang run come across the Resurrection Flower again near the Chinese border and what seems to be an enslaved zombie.

They find that someone appears to be purposefully spreading the virus. A brand new character in fact but to what end? It’s likely Seo-bi’s fate will be interlinked with this new mysterious person as well as that of the Prince once she learns he isn’t so safe after all.

Kim Eun-hee stated:

“Season one told the story of hunger and season two told the story of blood. If Netflix agrees, I want season three to tell the story of resentment. Season two brought attention to the concept of ‘temperature’ and I think if the story were to travel north, the different ecosystem in the North would act as a hint.”

In an interview with Forbes, Kim Eun-hee revealed what it was that inspired her to create the series.

“I thought, ‘Maybe I can portray the plague with zombies,'” she said, referencing the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which recorded thousands of people in Korea being wiped out by a mysterious illness.

“It’ll be a very interesting way to convey the sufferings and pains of the people of that time,” she added. “That’s how I came up with the idea of writing Kingdom.”

Kingdom season 3 trailer: When can we see a Netflix promo for season 3?

JUHAN NOH

Netflix

Unfortunately, with no news about when the show will return, we’re yet to get any kind of trailer or even a teaser of what’s to come.

But check back in here and we will update you as soon as we know more.

Promise!

Kingdom seasons 1 and 2 are now available to watch worldwide on Netflix.