The wait for Atlanta's return has been extended. Once again.
More than two years after the FX series concluded its second season, network chairman John Landgraf announced Seasons 3 and 4 have been postponed due to coronavirus concerns. According to Variety, Landgraf shared the news Wednesday during a virtual press conference that promoted FX's fall lineup.
The series, executive produced by and starring Donald Glover, was initially scheduled to return in January 2021. The ongoing pandemic has forced the Atlanta team to cancel production in 2020. Landgraf now says the show will begin shooting Season 3 in early 2021, with a debut planned for later that year. FX has yet to announce an exact premiere date for the next two seasons.
Landgraf praised "Glover and his intrepid team" for completing the scripts for the next two seasons over the last several months. He referred to the upcoming seasons as "parts 1 and 2 of a new chapter in the series' life," and confirmed they would be shot back-to-back. One of the seasons will reportedly be shot in Atlanta, while the other will primarily be filmed in Europe.
"One of the things that’s been an unexpected boon from COVID-19 is that writers have had a lot of time to write," Landgraf said. "... However, the availability [of actors] has been pushed back because of the [pandemic]."
It was previously reported that Season 3 would span 10 episodes, while Season 4 would span eight. Shortly after Season 2 wrapped up, Glover compared Atlanta chapter 3 to Kanye West's third studio album. "I align the seasons, I think, to me, like Kanye records," he said during an Emmys FYC screening, as reported by NME. "I feel like this is our Graduation. This is probably our most accessible but also the realest—an honest version of it—and I feel like the most enjoyable, like the third album."
