The third and final season kicked off with a very fitting tribute to the late actor, who passed away in 2021.
The third and final season of His Dark Materials arrived on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this past weekend – and it kicked off with a very fitting tribute to one of its late actors.
Helen McCrory, who was perhaps best known for her role as Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders and Naricssa Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, voiced the character of Lord Asriel's daemon Stelmaria in the hit BBC fantasy series. The actor passed away in 2021 at the age of 52 after a battle with cancer.
At the end of season 3's premiere episode, which aired on Sunday 18th December, the end credits rolled, reading: "In memory of Helen McCrory, OBE."
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The role of Stelmaria was recast for season 3, with The Crown's Victoria Hamilton voicing the character for the remaining eight episodes.
Many fans took to Twitter to comment on the tribute. One viewer wrote: "Lovely tribute to Helen McCrory tonight. Go well in the next world Helen," while another (below) stated it was an "absolutely fitting tribute".
It's been nearly two years since His Dark Materials was last seen on our screens and this time round, the events that unfold in season 3 are based on The Amber Spyglass, the third book in Philip Pullman’s trilogy.
The new season brings the story of Lyra (Dafne Keen) and Will (Amir Wilson) to a climax, as the duo help James McAvoy’s Lord Asriel in an epic battle against antagonist the Authority.
The new season is set to be "definitely sort of the most ambitious," according to Mrs Coulter star Ruth Wilson.
Similarly, McAvoy has stated that there will be a lot to look forward to in season 3, promising "a lot of fisticuffs and a lot of explosions" in the "down and dirty" action for this season.
At a recent Q&A ahead of the series's final season, producer Jane Tranter revealed that the team behind the show would also love to adapt Pullman's Book of Dust trilogy.
His Dark Materials season 3 airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 18th December.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
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