When does ‘The Great’ season three come out?

Fans of The Great have been sat on the edge of their seats, keen to learn when the third season of the historical black comedy will arrive on their screens. And, after many months of waiting, we finally know when and where fans can dive back into the ahistorical adventures of Catherine the Great as she tries to make history by any means necessary. 

What is The Great, and what is the show about? 

Based on the play written by Tony McNamara, The Great follows Catherine the Great, showing her slow, tricky, and often dangerous rise to becoming Empress of All Russia. The show focuses on her marriage to Emperor Peter III of Russia, tracking the would-be Empress as she tries to dispose of her husband in a way that won’t draw suspicion or jeopardize her position. 

The show also features an all-star cast, with Maleficent star Elle Fanning playing Catherine the Great. She is supported by X-Men, The Menu, and Renfield star Nicholas Hoult, who takes the role of infamously short-lived Russian emperor Peter III of Russia. They’re also joined by Phoebe Fox, Sacha Dhawan, and prolific British actor Gwilym Lee. 

The show is well-known for its off-kilter approach to history. The show prioritizes jokes over accurately representing historical events, leading to Hulu frequently billing the show as “anti-historical.” To further hammer this home, the show’s title cards often call the show The Great: An Occasionally True Story and The Great: An Almost Entirely Untrue Story

The show debuted on Hulu in 2020 and quickly developed a large and vocal fanbase. This led to the show getting a second season in 2021 and a third season being announced in early 2022, meaning fans have waited nearly a year to find out the release date. 

When will Season 3 of The Great launch?

On Instagram, Elle Fanning confirmed season three’s launch date with a post showing Peter and Catherine together. This picture was captioned: 

“Peter and Catherine return for season three of The Great!!! May 12 on Hulu!!!! #thegreat” 

The post also featured a string of emojis, including a knife, a crown, a bear, a snowflake, a baby, and a magnifying glass. Which may give fans a hint at what they can expect in the coming season. 

This post means that fans of the show won’t need to wait too long to see where the story goes and if Catherine can become the great woman that echoes throughout history.