A huge battle is on the horizon in the third season of His Dark Materials.
The latest teaser trailer for the BBC and HBO’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s The Amber Spyglass shows James McAvoy’s Lord Asriel building an army to go up against the Authority, the first angel to be formed from Dust and the series’s major antagonist.
“I am gathering the greatest from every world to help me wage war,” Asriel says in the teaser, before promising that he “would risk everything to ensure victory”.
Later in the trailer, the Magisterium is still trying to hunt down Lyra (Dafne Keen), as the leader of the shadowy religious organisation instructs new character Father Gomez (Jamie Ward) to find her “dead or alive”.
Lyra, meanwhile, is back with her mother Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) after the events of the season 2 finale, but our heroine seems to be troubled by confusing dreams, hearing the voice of her old friend Roger calling out to her from beyond the grave.
The clip then gives us our first glimpse of Lyra and Will (Amir Wilson)’s epic journey into the land of the dead, with Lyra once again haunted by Roger’s voice.
The stakes, it seems, couldn’t be higher. “What if we don’t come back?” Will asks his friend, who replies that if that happens, “then we will have died doing something important”.
The trailer also brings back the witch Serafina Pekkala (Ruta Gedmintas), who we see flying through the sky as she alludes to her people’s prophecy that Lyra could be a new Eve.
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/Lyra-HDM-cropped-b4f87b4.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
“If the prophecy is true, she will achieve something far beyond your rebellion,” she says.
The third season of His Dark Materials is set to air weekly on HBO in the United States from 5th December, with an exact UK release date for December yet to be confirmed.
Fans have been waiting for two years for more episodes after the second season, based on Pullman’s book The Subtle Knife, concluded in December 2020, with production delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
The new episodes will also see Lin-Manuel Miranda return as aeronaut Lee Scoresby, Jade Anouka as the witch queen Ruta Skadi and Simone Kirby as Dr Mary Malone, the academic who helps Lyra learn about Dust. Kit Connor will once again voice Pantalaimon, Lyra’s daemon.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com earlier this year, Ruth Wilson described the new season as “the most ambitious” of the series so far.
Describing it as “quite philosophical,” she said the third instalment is full of “huge themes and big ideas”.
His Dark Materials seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now, with season 3 premiering in December on BBC One. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.