The best TV drama you’ve never heard of is back - and Hilary Swank is joining the cast!

Call us presumptuous but chances are, you’re not all that familiar with Yellowjackets…yet. The Paramount+ drama is about to enter its third series and believe it or not, it’s good. So good, in fact, that Hilary Swank has agreed to join the cast.

To fill you in, the show tells the story of a team of talented female football players who have survived a plane crash and now live together while stranded in a forest wilderness, as well as the adult versions of the same people (25 years later) and the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together. But can the past ever really be behind them?

Having been nominated for 10 (yes, 10!) Emmy Awards to date, we can tell you that it’s seriously good viewing and why it hasn’t been talked about more sooner is, quite frankly, beyond us. So, whether you’re a Yellowjackets newbie or as excited as us about the impending arrival of series 3 as we are, here’s everything you need to know about it…

What is Yellowjackets about?

Part-psychological thriller, part-survival epic, the series follows a champion New Jersey football team, AKA the Yellowjackets, whose plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness on its way to a national tournament. The year is 1996.

Split into two timelines, we see the girls stranded as teens, trying to survive in the wilderness (there’s hunting and butchery involved), as well as the survivors in the present day, having rebuilt their lives and tried to move on from the trauma of their past.

No spoilers, but we should add that not everyone survives. Both series 1 and 2 feature several deaths – oh, and there’s a bit (a lot!) of cannibalism too. Sorry Jackie (the Yellowjackets team captain played by Ella Purnell). Will there be more in series 3? It's highly likely.

What will happen in Yellowjackets series 3?

We know that at least two new faces are making their Yellowjackets debut in series 3. Firstly, Hilary Swank, and then there's Joel McHale (The Bear). While details of Hilary’s role are being kept under wraps, we have a feeling she’ll play one of the present-day survivors.

We also know from the first trailer that Jackie (yes, the Jackie who fell victim to cannibalism) will return. Or at least, her ghost will, as she appears to be haunting a present-day Shauna (played by Melanie Lynskey).

While an official synopsis hasn’t been released with further details, co-creator Ashley Lyle has given some hints about we might be able to expect. "I will say we see season 3 as a little bit of a return to season 1 in terms of the vibe. All I will say is that the girls have been out there [in the wilderness] for a while, and they’re thriving," she said.

Christina Ricci, who stars as the grown-up version of nurse Misty Quigley, has also shared some revealing details. "This is the most fun and exciting season yet. It’s very smart and shocking — and people die," she revealed. But who will it be?

Who's starring in Yellowjackets series 3?

The cast of Yellowjackets series 3 includes:

• Hilary Swank

• Melanie Lynskey

• Sophie Nélisse

• Juliette Lewis

• Christina Ricci

• Samantha Hanratty

• Tawny Cypress

• Jasmin Savoy Brown

• Sophie Thatcher

• Courtney Eaton

• Lauren Ambrose

• Liv Hewson

• Steven Krueger

• Warren Kole

• Kevin Alves

• Joel McHale

How can I watch Yellowjackets series 3?

The first two episodes of Yellowjackets series 3 will be available to watch on Paramount+ from Friday 14^th February. After that, a new episode will be released every Sunday starting 23^rd February.

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