‘The Hunting Wives’ Renewed for Season 3 at Netflix — Seven Weeks Before Season 2 Premieres

Netflix just handed the women of Maple Brook a third season before the second one has even aired — which, given how Season 1 ended, might be the most dangerous vote of confidence in streaming right now.

LOS ANGELES — Netflix has renewed The Hunting Wives for Season 3, announcing the pickup on Tuesday, October 7 — seven weeks before Season 2 premieres on Thanksgiving, November 26. The order covers another eight episodes, and casting is already underway, according to PopCulture.com’s reporting. Leads Brittany Snow and Malin Åkerman are expected to return, TV Insider reports, though Netflix has not announced an official Season 3 cast list yet.

Creator and showrunner Rebecca Cutter met the news the way you would hope she would — leaning all the way in. Cutter said in a statement: “I’m so stoked to be heading back to Maple Brook, and I promise that once you’ve finished Season 2, you’ll be desperate to see what happens next. Buckle up, because Season 3 will be even more scandalous and twisted.” Cutter created the series and serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer.

The early renewal is the payoff on one of 2025’s stealthiest breakouts. Created by Cutter and based on May Cobb’s bestselling novel, The Hunting Wives debuted in July 2025 and exploded past 35 million views, per Netflix figures cited by TV Insider. The series spent five weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 English-language TV list, climbing as high as No. 2 worldwide in its second week. It cracked the Top 10 in 40 countries and hit No. 1 in 10 — including the United States.

The show’s path to Netflix was unconventional. It was developed and produced for Starz before Netflix acquired the completed first season for the U.S. market. After it found its audience, Netflix struck a deal with Lionsgate that expanded its international footprint, with Lionsgate buying back the series in most territories where it had previously been sold. Starting with Season 2, The Hunting Wives is considered a Netflix original in nearly every country where the service operates. Lionsgate Television remains the studio, with Erwin Stoff of 3 Arts Entertainment and May Cobb executive producing alongside Cutter.

Season 2 arrives with all eight episodes on November 26, and it starts in an ugly place. Sophie and Margo are “on the outs,” per the official logline, but old secrets and new foes soon force the pair back into each other’s lives — and the season’s central question is whether the two women are the hunters or the hunted. ABC Audio’s rundown of the new season also confirms the returning ensemble: Dermot Mulroney is back as Jed Banks — who is now running for governor — alongside Jaime Ray Newman, Evan Jonigkeit, and George Ferrier. Karen Rodriguez and Hunter Emery return as series regulars Deputy Salazar and Deputy Flynn, with Branton Box back in a guest role as Sheriff Johnny.

To see why an early renewal makes sense, remember where Season 1 left things. Sophie, an East Coast transplant who fell under the spell of Margo’s circle of wealthy, wine-loving East Texas socialites, ended the season with blood on her hands: Margo killed Abby to cover up an affair, and a drunk Sophie ran over Margo’s brother Kyle — then got rid of his body. Memorable TV’s recap of the renewal notes the season closed with the two women estranged, which is exactly where Season 2 picks them up.

The new season also brings a serious guest-star infusion. John Stamos joins as country music star Chase Brylan, Kim Matula plays Hollywood producer Nadia Kelly, Alex FitzAlan appears as Jed’s campaign adviser Lincoln Trout, Cam Gigandet plays Gentle John Moffitt, and Dale Dickey takes the role of biker gang leader Zelda Moffitt, according to GeekTown’s casting rundown. Basketball star Angel Reese also joins the cast as Trainer Barbie.

One thing that will change for Season 3: where the show films. The first two seasons shot in North Carolina, but producer Joan Cunningham told Memorable TV the production could not keep filming there without state film incentive money — meaning Margo’s waterfront house, the Azalea Retreat on Lake Norman, will not be back for the new season. Where Maple Brook goes next has not been announced.

It is also worth noting how far past its source material the series has already traveled. The show has moved beyond the events of May Cobb’s novel — Season 2 is entirely new territory, and Season 3 will push further still. GeekTown reports that Cutter has said work on the Season 3 scripts is already progressing, with the world of the show getting bigger and the stakes increasing. That early start is also a quiet fix for one of streaming television’s most annoying habits: the multi-year gap between seasons that leaves audiences relearning the plot.

For more on what’s coming to Netflix this fall, see our Nobody Wants This Season 3 preview and our Lupin Part 4 guide.