EXCLUSIVE: Crack open a cold one from the 1980s because those East Texas boys from Joe R. Lansdale’s eminently readable Hap and Leonard books will return to SundanceTV for a third season next year.
Based on Lansdale’s 1995 novel The Two-Bear Mambo, Season 3 of Hap and Leonard will return James Purefoy and Michael Kenneth Williams to the sometimes-comedic Reagan-era crime series for six episodes to debut in 2018. Also six episodes like 2016’s Season 1, Season 2 of the adventures of the blue-collar Vietnam vet pals Hap Collins (Purefoy) and Leonard Pine (Williams) wrapped April 19.
“At once darkly funny and socially relevant, there’s no other series like the Southern noir Hap and Leonard, and we couldn’t be prouder that it will continue for another season on SundanceTV,” said Jan Diedrichsen, GM of SundanceTV and Sundance Now. “James and Michael bring new depth and dimension to the buddy-action genre, and Joe Lansdale’s brilliant work continues to be in excellent hands with John Wirth and company.”
Dealing with racial conflict, police indifference, the KKK and a missing ex-lover of Hap’s, The Two-Bear Mambo-based season will see Season 2 showrunner Wirth return for the gig. He will also EP with co-creators Jim Mickle and Nick Damici, Jeremy Platt and Linda Moran.
Owned 100% by AMC Studios and first debuting March 2, 2016, Hap and Leonard has proven to be SundanceTV’s highest-rated original series. Season 1 averaged 456,000 viewers in Live+3 and 147K in the 18-49 demo, both big lifts from Live+Same Day. Season 2 was pretty much on par.
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