'Hacks' Season 3 Halts Production

No show seems immune to the effects of the WGA Writers Strike that went into effect at midnight May 2.

Hacks Season 3 is the most recent show to pause production due to the writers strike. It's the show's second production pause since filming began in November 2022. The first was due to Jean Smart's heart surgery in February. This work stoppage will likely be much longer—until writers hammer out a deal with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Hacks wrapped up its critically acclaimed Season 2, which found legendary comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her young writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), begrudgingly (on both ends!) sent to work together to boost both of their careers in Season 1, traveling across the country in a tour bus while Deborah tries to polish new material. So what’s in store for HBO Max's award-winning comedy’s future? Here are all the details we have so far on Hacks Season 3. Be sure to check back periodically as we update with more news.

Has Hacks been renewed for Season 3?

Yes! Deborah Vance will be able to continue her triumphant climb back to the top of the comedy game. Two weeks after the Season 2 finale, HBO Max renewed Hacks for Season 3. Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content at the streamer said of the renewal: "We are overjoyed at the audience and press response to the new season, and glad to give viewers more of this gorgeous, hilarious, moving show." The renewal seemed like a no-brainer. The first season of the series was nominated for six primetime Emmy Awards and nabbed three of them, and Season 2 avoided the curse of the sophomore slump and nabbed three more Emmys in 2022. It’s a big win for HBO Max and it seems unlikely they wouldn’t continue to tap into that, especially since the creators have already indicated that they’re game to do more episodes. In an interview with Collider, one of the show’s creators (and its award-winning director) Lucia Aniello spoke about how the team had planned the Season 2 arc when pitching the show and that they already have lots of stories to tell beyond that, saying, “We already knew that Season 2 would be a road trip. I think that was in the original pitch. In Season whatever, beyond that, we also know what we wanna do.'"

Related: Jean Smart Says the Pressure Is on for Hacks Season 2: ‘Like We Have To Prove Ourselves’

What will Hacks Season 3 be about?

We’ll have to wait for more information here, but as noted above, it seems like the creative team behind Hacks has a plan. In fact, in that same interview, Aniello went on to say that they “also ultimately know exactly how the show ends, one day, in hopefully 20 or 30 years.” We’ll just have to wait a little longer to be let in on that exact plan. Based on Season 2, however, you can probably expect at least a little bit of watching Deborah and Ava go off on their own career trajectories, now that Deborah has cut the young writer loose, not wanting to prevent her from taking advantage of the opportunities coming her way after the success of Deborah's comedy special. Hopefully they won't be separated for too long, since so much of the magic of this show comes from Smart and Einbinder's on-screen chemistry. Time will tell!

What happened at the end of Hacks Season 2?

Season 2 of Hacks saw Deborah and Ava on a road trip across the country as Deborah worked on her new show in the hopes of getting a new Las Vegas residency. There were bumps along the way, of course, especially after Ava confessed to sending that email full of less-than-flattering anecdotes about her boss to a bunch of TV producers and Deborah decided to sue Ava for defamation— but kept her trapped on the tour bus (like, in a fun, tormenting her on purpose kind of way). Things look grim when Deborah’s act continues to bomb, but then she takes a step away from the stage, has a fun, real ego-boost of a night with a much younger man (played by Devon Sawa), and finally the act just clicks.

Instead of using it to win a Las Vegas residency, however, Deborah sets her sights on something much bigger: A comedy special. When no network seems interested, Deborah bets on herself and not only produces it on her own, but sells it directly to the biggest fanbase she has: her QVC shoppers. The special does spectacularly well, so much so that now every network wants it. It's a huge success not just for Deborah, but for Ava, too, who suddenly has a bunch of offers coming her way. Seeing this and knowing Ava would stick with Deborah for the long haul, Deborah not only fires her but also drops the lawsuit, effectively letting Ava go in every way possible.

Related: From Designing Women to Hacks, These Are Jean Smart's 10 Best Roles

Does Hacks Season 3 have a release date?

No premiere date has been announced, but stay tuned for more information.

When is Hacks Season 3 filming?

Filming for Hacks Season 3 is paused at the moment due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. Filming will not resume until a deal is reached.

This is the second production pause of Season 3. The show stopped production in late February while Jean Smart recovered from "successful heart procedure." Smart announced that she was recovering from the unspecified condition in an Instagram post on Feb. 23. Filming resumed in mid-March.

Production was likely well underway when they paused for Smart's heart procedure. They began shooting Nov. 28, 2022. Smart also broke that news with a cute first day of filming post (wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with "The Bitch is Back") on Instagram with the caption, "Back to work, first day of shooting season 3. Yay!"

Who will be in the Hacks Season 3 cast?

While no definitive cast for Hacks Season 3 has been announced just yet, we can expect to see:

Jean Smart as Deborah Vance

Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels

Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus

Paul W. Downs as Jimmy

Meg Stalter as Kayla

Mark Indelicato as Damien

Kaitlin Olson as DJ

Poppy Liu as Kiki

Has Hacks won any awards?

You bet! The series, cast and producers have been nominated for 32 Emmys and won six.

Jean Smart—Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series (2021, 2022)

Outstanding Contemporary Costumes (2022)

Laurie Metcalf—Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series (2022)

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series (2021)

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series (2021)

Is there a trailer for Hacks Season 3 yet?

Not yet—but check back here for updates after the show’s gone into production.

Next, check out everything we know about The Flight Attendant Season 3 so far!