‘The Bear’ Season 3: Filming Scheduled to Start in Chicago

FX’s The Bear has two successful seasons under its belt. And fans are eager for more. The good news is that the official renewal for The Bear Season 3 finally came in November 2023, and production is officially scheduled to begin on February 26 in Chicago under the working title “SHELDRAKE.”

The renewal of the series doesn’t come as a surprise after the massive success of the first two seasons. So, what we know so far about the new season? Dive into it all below, but note there are spoilers ahead for Season 2.

Is The Bear Renewed for Season 3?

FX officially renewed The Bear for Season 3 in early November, noting that production is expected to start on the new season in late February or early March 2024. Season 2 of The Bear just premiered on June 22, 2023, on FX and Hulu, and landed a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The show’s renewal for Season 2 was announced three weeks after Season 1 came to Hulu. The reason for the delay on the Season 3 renewal likely had to do with the on-going strikes this year with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, both of which have thankfully been resolved.

“The Bear, which wowed audiences in its first season only to achieve even greater heights in season two, has become a cultural phenomenon,” said Nick Grad, the president of FX Entertainment, announced in a November 2023 press release. “We and our partners at Hulu join fans in looking forward to the next chapter in the story of The Bear.”

The show’s creator and showrunner, Christopher Storer, based The Bear on his own experience working at Mr. Beef but has also turned to veterans in Chicago’s restaurant scene for input.

“Our crew is amazing. Like, very amazing,” Storer said in an interview with Esquire. “Our actors know how fast we drill and are able to make this thing feel incredibly alive and incredibly nerve-wracking, which isn’t easy. I’m in awe of them every day.”

The Bear Cast

The Bear Season 3 press released mentioned a number of cast members, so fans can expect the main cast to return. This includes Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard “Richie” Jerimovich, Abby Elliott as Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, Lionel Boyce as Marcus, Liza Colon-Zayas as Tina, Matty Matheson as Neil Fak, Edwin Lee Gibson as Ebraheim, Oliver Platt as Uncle Jimmy, Molly Gordon as Claire, and Chris Witaske as Pete.

Also likely to return for a third season are Jon Bernthal as Michael “Mikey” Berzatto (in flashbacks), Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna Berzatto, Robert Townsend as Emmanuel Adamu, and Gillian Jacobs as Tiffany Jerimovich.

Boyce has not confirmed anything specific about season three. However, he did tell Distractify what he wants to see for his character. Boyce said he wants to see Marcus “go through anything” as long as the show gets renewed for Season 3. “I feel the same way as I did after Season 1, where it finished and I was like ‘I truly don’t know where the show’s gonna go.’”

“All the writers do such a great job of arcing out specific stories for each character, so I’m excited to see where they’ll take it,” Boyce told Deadline.

Those who won’t likely return are Olivia Colman as Chef Terry, Will Poulter as Luca, Sarah Paulson as Cousin Michelle, Bob Odenkirk as Uncle Lee, and John Mulaney as Stevie. All of them were guest stars in season two, and their appearance was in one episode.

What Happened in Season 2

In the finale of The Bear Season 2, the restaurant’s opening night goes well. The customers love the food, and Sydney’s father is convinced that The Bear is “the thing.” Meanwhile, Richie seems like he has found his home along with a genuine sense of authority. Tina is a great sous chef and Ebraheim is doing well at the takeaway window station.

However, things start to go wrong when Carmy gets locked inside the walk-in fridge. He practically confesses to Claire that he doesn’t want to spend time on “enjoyment and amusement” with her. Even though they’re broken up for now, whether they’ll get back together or not remains to be seen.

There’s also Marcus’s situation as when he was in the midst of enjoying the success of The Bear, he was unaware of the texts sent to him by his mother’s carer. This might mean she passed away, which might be what would drive his guilt in a potential Season 3.

“I think the thing for me that is interesting to explore is just like continuing the journey of aspiring for greatness. It’s just a story of passion…for me, I would love to explore that,” Boyce told Deadline. “This season was, to me, very much him discovering there’s a path to greatness and seeing what it takes to get there. So I would like to see him get one step closer to it and see what comes with that – the good and the bad.”

What to Expect for The Bear Season 3

Storer has teased plans for The Bear Season 3, hinting at what’s to come.

“It was also great having Ayo on set with me that week – she’s going to direct a few episodes next year so she was an important set of fresh eyes,” said Storer about the show’s Christmas episode.

When it comes to a potential romance between Sydney and Carmy, Edebiri doesn’t think that might be the case.

“It’s really not our thought process when we’re making the show and I understand it can be part of a show’s culture — but I don’t think they’re going to get what they want,” said Edebiri.

As for potential guest stars, Dexerto predicted that the likes of Bo Burnham, Joan Cusack, Vince Vaughn, and Stephen Graham could make great appearances. The outlet explained that Burnham was mentioned in the seventh episode of season two. Burnham was listed as a Person of Note in the guest list of the restaurant where Richie was staging.

Fans on Reddit said Storer also happens to be friends with Burnham, so there’s probably a chance. Storer served as producer for Burnham’s 2018 film Eight Grade.

The Bear Season 3 Release Date Speculation

Currently, there’s no release date for The Bear Season 3. However, production is scheduled to begin in Chicago on February 26, 2024, and will continue until May 21, 2024. So it’s possible we could see the series return as early as late 2024.

The 2023 strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA unions likely impacted the delay of the series’ renewal and production on Season 3. White and Edebiri were seen at the picket lines as the unions asked for fair terms from the AMPTP. Storer and The Bear executive producer Joanna Calo were also a part of the strike, not writing new episodes.

For now, fans can catch the first two seasons of The Bear on Hulu.