Snowpiercer season 3: release date, cast, plot and news for post-apocalyptic Netflix series

And if you want to get a preview of the new run before jumping in, a trailer has been released for the season that offers a glimpse at new character Asha, played by The Fall's Archie Panjabi, who appears to have been able to survive despite living off the train.

Released earlier in January 2022, the clip also shows all sorts of tension aboard the train following the dramatic events of the season 2 finale, while key characters Layton (Daveed Diggs) and Wilford (Sean Bean) both feature prominently as well – in addition to an intriguing appearance from Melanie (Jennifer Connolly).

And it looks like Snowpiercer won't be reaching the end of the tracks for quite some time yet – with the post-apocalyptic sci-fi series having already been renewed for a fourth run before the third season has even aired.

A video from the Vancouver set of the series last year saw star Daveed Diggs announce the news, while also revealing that the third season has now wrapped production.

"There's only a few of us left because we are about to wrap production on the epic season 3 of Snowpiercer, it will be coming soon to TNT we cannot wait for you to see it but wait – there's more," he said.

"We have news. We're announcing to you right now today that we have been greenlit for season 4. And this is just a note to say thank you to you, our loyal fans, obviously this wouldn't have happened without you. And if you like seasons 1 and 2 I have no reason to assume you won't love seasons 3 and 4, it only gets bigger and more Snowpiercer-ier."

So what "more Snowpiercer-ier" surprises lay in store for fans in season 3? After the addition of Sean Bean as a scenery-chewing villain in season 2, the series has been on an upwards trajectory, and fans were left with quite the cliffhanger at the end of the last run.

Here's everything we know so far.

Snowpiercer season 3 release date

Good news - Snowpiercer season 3 began on TNT in America on Monday 24th January, and the first episode arrived for UK viewers on Netflix on Tuesday 25th January. New episodes will be released weekly for the next few weeks.

Snowpiercer season 3 cast

Season 3 sees several returning faces. One star who will be back is Jennifer Connolly, despite her character Melanie appearing to be killed off at the end of the second run.

Executive producer Becky Clements gave somewhat mixed signals when asked about Melanie's fate in a recent interview with TVLine, saying: "I don’t know that she is alive" but also revealing that "we are pleased that Jennifer will join us for season 3". So perhaps her role in the next run will be limited to flashbacks?

Fans can also expect to see more of Daveed Diggs as Layton and Sean Bean as Mr Wilford, and series regulars Alison Wright, Rowan Blanchard, Lena Hall, Mickey Sumner, Sam Otto, Annalise Basso, and Steven Ogg are also lined up to return.

We'll also meet a major new character, with The Fall and The Good Wife star Archie Panjabi joining the cast as Asha – a survivor from off the train, while Clements has also revealed that "a couple of smaller characters" will join the show too. We'll let you know when we get more information on that front.

Snowpiercer season 3 trailer

A trailer for season 3 was released in January 2022, with some pretty trippy sequences hinting at the series moving into new areas for the new episodes.

Snowpiercer season 3 plot

Prior to the series launching, executive producer Becky Clements provided a few details about what we can expect in the next season now that the two trains are apart.

Asked if the series will resemble a chase between the two trains, Clements answered: "There will be some chasing, but it will not be the full season. We definitely have lots of narratives happening. There’s survival, there’s [what happened to] Melanie, there’s research on the train, and there’s the ultimate goal…."

In a separate interview with Deadline, Clements said the next season will find all the characters "trying to find their place in their new world" while she also confirmed there would be a time jump to show "what the new world order looks like".

She added: "It’s a lot of fun in season 3, how we have new alliances and new foes. It’s been fun to watch the scene work, putting new people together."

And she confirmed that we will also learn more about Josie (Katie McGuinness) and her powers, something that was touched upon in season 2.

"That’s kind of our fun, interesting, sci-fi genre bit of human augmentation," she said. "How far can we and should we go in the world of CRISPR? You know, when we start messing with the maker, what happens? So, yes. There’s some interesting stuff coming there, too."

Sean Bean also discussed the new alliances with the NY Times, and how having to work together with Layton when the trains are reconnected will affect Wilford's reign.

"Maybe we’ll get to see him in a more reasonable light. There are moments where he has to bargain with people, comply with some of their demands and try to be diplomatic," Bean said.

"This might give the audience the impression that Wilford’s folding, but there’s always an ulterior motive — it’s never simple. That’s how cunning he is, how good he is at scheming."

After it was revealed that the world was getting warmer in season 2, we fully expect the very timely climate change message to be expanded upon in season 3 - especially as Melanie seemingly died attempting to collect data on the changing temperatures. With a time jump confirmed, could it soon be warm enough for humanity to escape Wilford?

As soon as more plot details emerge we'll post them here, so keep checking back for all the latest info. Don't look at Bong Joon-ho's cult 2013 film for clues, however - the show has already deviated wildly from the movie that inspired it.

Snowpiercer seasons 1 and 2 are currently available in full on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.