'The Leftovers' season 3 release date delay, spoilers update: Premiere pushed back to 2017; cast and crew spotted in Australia
Because of production and scheduling issues, the third and final season of HBO's critically acclaimed drama "The Leftovers" has been pushed back to early 2017.
Even though filming for season 3 is already halfway through, fans will have to wait to see the conclusion of the program. HBO President of Programming Casey Bloys recently confirmed the delay, IndieWire reported, stressing that "part of it was production, and part of it was scheduling."
To boot, he gave a teaser on when the show will begin airing. "We had a slot, obviously, in the spring, where 'Game of Thrones' was moving out of," Bloys said. This could mean that season 3 will roll out sometime in April 2017.
There are speculations that the change in schedule will possibly give the show the boost it needs — even giving it a better chance of receiving an Emmy nomination. It may also be the network's way of giving the program a last shot to be noticed by viewers and award-giving institutions since the Emmys reportedly choose candidates from shows released in April. This way, voters are able to submit their decisions in the succeeding months. If the series gets more attention in its new slot, the network may even decide to change the show's course and greenlight a season renewal.
On another note, production is currently in full swing and is expected to end later this year. Earlier this month, the cast and crew were spotted in Australia to shoot scenes for the series. According to Geelong Advertiser, roughly 160 cast and crew spent a week in the coastal region which served as a backdrop for some of the sequences. They have been filming in Melbourne since June but the whole team will reportedly stay in Queenscliff, Victoria until October.
HBO has yet to announce an official premiere date for "The Leftovers" season 3, but it is expected to return in April 2017 with eight episodes.
