Donald Glover says he "wanted to make a Black fairytale" for Atlanta's third season
The star and executive producer of the series explained that the writer's room wanted to focus on short stories this time around
It’s been nearly four long years since the incredible Atlanta: Robbin’ Season, but we’re one step closer the premiere of the FX series’ third season. While attending the SXSW Festival, the cast of Atlanta talked to Variety about what lies ahead this season for Earn (Donald Glover), his cousin Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), Darius (LaKeith Stanfield), and Van (Zazie Beetz) as they venture to Europe for Paper Boi’s tour.
“It’s a very honest season,” said Beetz. “All of the characters are out of their element, which allows things to rise to the surface that you would otherwise be able to, in habits and in comfort, suppress. And here, you can’t, because you have nothing to catch you. It’s a lot of truth and reflections of where we’re all at as ourselves and as people—as me, as Zazie.”
From the trailer we got, that ‘fish out of water’ sensation seems fitting as the crew leaves the show’s titular Atlanta, Georgia setting for the new arena of Europe. Yet, the spirit of Atlanta “is everywhere and nowhere,” commented Stephen Glover, Donald Glover’s brother who writes and produces for the acclaimed series.
When will Atlanta, the place, make its return to the series? Well, Donald Glover assured everyone that the city will have a “heavy resurgence” coming into the fourth (and final) season which releases this fall.
“Atlanta is a state of mind. Europe solidified how we felt [while writing] Season 3. [Director Hiro Murai] calls it our maximum season,” said Donald Glover.
Glover went even more in-depth about how, for season three, the cast and crew wanted to go beyond what they’ve done previously. “We just wanted to make a Black fairytale,” Glover stated. “I remember sitting in the writers’ room and being like, ‘What do we write about?’ We just wanted to do short stories. Something I would want to watch.”
From napkin-covered heads at dinner parties to moped rides, the trailer gives hints as to how the short story format will work to showcase the Atlanta crew’s mixture of oddly hilarious and off-putting occurrences while in Europe. Thankfully, it seems that the terrifying Teddy Perkins will decide to stay in Atlanta this time around.
The third season of Atlanta premieres March 24 on FX, with next day streaming available on Hulu.