Dracula is dead, but that doesn’t mean the Castlevania story is over.
Netflix released the first trailer for season 3 of Castlevania, its hit animated series inspired by the video game franchise of the same name. Along with offering a preview of the carnage to come in the definitely-not-for-kids series, the trailer also reveals the premiere date for the 10-episode third season: March 5.
Castlevania follows outcast monster hunter Trevor Belmont as he battles all manner of supernatural creature — from bloodthirsty demons to Dracula himself — in order to protect humanity. He’s joined by a young magician Sypha Belnades, as well as Dracula’s powerful, half-human son, Alucard.
Acclaimed novelist and comic book writer Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Crooked Little Vein) returns as series writer and producer for season 3 after penning the scripts for the first two well-received seasons.
The first season of Castlevania premiered in July 2017 on Netflix and received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with some calling it one of the best video game adaptations ever made. That first, four-episode season was followed by a longer, eight-episode second season in October 2018, and was simultaneously renewed for a third season.
Although the anime-influenced series diverges from the mythology of the game franchise, it’s been hailed for building a compelling, layered lore behind many of games’ most popular characters and key events. Netflix hasn’t released official audience numbers for the series, but Castlevania is reported to be among the most popular original animated series on the streaming service to date.
The series also features an impressive voice cast, with Richard Armitage (The Hobbit trilogy) voicing Trevor Belmont, James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) as Alucard, and Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian) as Sypha Belnades.
One of the bestselling game franchises of all time, the Castlevania games encompass a long list of titles for classic and modern consoles, as well as mobile devices. The first Castlevania was released in North America in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and spawned multiple sequels, prequel installments, and spinoffs in other media. The series follows various members of the Belmont family, who have been tasked with hunting monsters and often find themselves battling Dracula and his heirs.