The last we saw of Penn Badgley's endearing serial killer in hit series You he was falling back into his old habits and leering from afar into his next-door neighbor's garden in order to spy on a mystery woman. Well, the mysterious neighbor that is sure to be the catalyst for the show's third season has now been revealed, with Michaela McManus (The Vampire Diaries, The Village) set to be the face of Joe's merciless desire.
McManus will play Natalie, the object of Joe's ominous fascination, who is described as "Married to a powerful man, Natalie is a professional and social success. But she sees through the shallow, Stepford-esque vibe that surrounds her, and beneath her wry exterior, she leads a secret life. One that Joe is willing to work hard to learn more about."
Production on Season 3 of Netflix's popular psychological thriller finally began earlier this month, with the streaming giant making the announcement via social media. Produced by Warner Horizon Television, in association with Alloy Entertainment and A&E Studios, the first season of You is based on the 2014 novel by Caroline Kepnes and introduces audiences to Badgley as Joe Goldberg, a brilliant male bookstore manager who crosses paths with an aspiring female writer. A charming yet awkward crush becomes something even more sinister when the writer becomes the object of Joe's obsession. Using social media and the internet to become close to her, Joe begins to remove any obstacle, including people, that stand in his way of getting to her.
The second season saw a change of scenery in both the show and its availability, moving from Lifetime to Netflix as one of their Original series'. Loosely based on the novel Hidden Bodies, also by Caroline Kepnes, the follow-up finds Joe moving from New York to Los Angeles to escape his past. Changing his name to Will Bettelheim through nefarious means, he meets avid chef Love Quinn and begins falling into his old patterns of obsession and violence. As Joe/Will attempts to forge a new love, he strives to make his relationship with Love succeed in a way that avoids the tragedy of his previous romantic exploits.
The highly anticipated third season of You will find Joe in something of a suburban nightmare, with the final scene hinting at him falling back into old habits and potentially losing his marbles once again, which, let's face it, never ends well for anyone. It sounds like Joe's fears about the tedium of suburban life were not unfounded, with Netflix recently announcing that Shalita Grant (Santa Clarita Diet) and Travis Van Winkle (The Last Ship) have joined the cast of You season 3 as a shady couple that takes a curious liking to Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti's characters Joe and Love.
The Strangers star Scott Speedman is joining the show for the third season as "Matthew, a successful CEO, husband, and uncommunicative father. He's reserved, mysterious, and has a tendency to be withdrawn ... all of which masks a deep well of emotion underneath." Alongside Speedman, season 3 also sees actors Shalita Grant (Santa Clarita Diet) and Travis Van Winkle (Friday the 13th) the wonderfully warped world of You. Shalita Grant will reportedly play Sherry, "a 'Mom-fluencer' who appears down to earth but is actually a mean girl who only pretends to welcome Love into her social circle." Meanwhile, Travis Van Winkle will play Cary, a wealthy guy who "invites Joe into his inner circle." With everything we know about Joe and Love, this is not going to end well for anyone.
Filming is expected to continue until late April 2021, with Netflix renewing You back in January following the huge success of the second season, which saw as many 54 million viewers streaming the show and joining lead star Penn Badgley on his creepy-yet-enthralling adventures. You season 3 will reunite stars Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti as Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn and is slated to premiere sometime in 2021. This comes to us from Variety.