Alice in Borderland season three is officially in production.

The show’s production company Robot Communications posted a casting call out for extras in September 2023 before later updating the listing to outline the planned production timeline.

It detailed that season three was scheduled to begin filming in September of that year and end in February 2024 (via The Direct).

The Alice in Borderland producer, Akira Morii, then followed up the announcement in December with an Instagram post from the season three set, captioning the image: “Another day of shooting!”

If filming is running to schedule it could mean that Alice in Borderland may already be in the post-production phase, which is definitely a good thing after that season 2 finale.

So, what now for the battered gamers who thought they had finally returned to the ‘real world’?

Here’s everything we know about Alice in Borderland season three.

When is Alice in Borderland season 3’s potential release date?

As mentioned above, Alice in Borderland season three filming began in September 2023, during the same month as the renewal news.

In fact, season three may have already wrapped in February 2024 if the show has managed to stick to the reported production schedule.

Fans had to patiently wait just over two years for season two to follow the first, with both seasons receiving a December release date, and it seems Netflix may be planning on following a similar pattern.

Season two wrapped in March 2022 but didn’t debut until December that same year. If season three has a similar nine months of post-production, fans could be looking at a November release date or a December outing if tradition holds firm.

Alice in Borderland season 3 cast

There were a couple of surprise visitors who we thought had died in Alice in Borderland season one, only for them to pop up in season two: Niragi (Dori Sakurada) and Aguni (Shô Aoyagi).

Though thoroughly battered (Niragi more so), they made it out of season two – so we expect to see them again in season three.

The same can’t be said for Tatta. Considering he was buried partway through the season, we’re pretty sure Yutaro Watanabe’s character will not be rising from the dead.

Meanwhile, Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) have survived explosions, stab wounds and various other life-or-death scraps just to join us for more.

Confirming the duo’s return following season three’s announcement, Netflix said: “With Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya reprising their roles as Arisu and Usagi in season three, fans can look forward to witnessing the evolution of their characters in the ever-dangerous landscape of Borderland.

“Shinsuke Sato’s continued direction will also ensure that the series maintains its trademark intensity and cinematic excellence.”

Also dragging themselves across the finish line were Aya Asahina, Nijirô Murakami and Ayaka Miyoshi’s characters Kuina, Chishiya and Ann, respectively, so we expect them to reprise their roles.

Newcomer Yuri Tsunematsu made a great addition to the cast as Heiya, and since she didn’t end up on the chopping block, there’s no reason we shouldn’t see her again.

Riisa Naka, who plays Mira Kano, spoke to Nextshark about her hopes for a third season and a return for her character. She began life in season one as an executive member of ‘the Beach’ and was then revealed to be the Queen of Hearts – and the last enemy of Arisu and Usagi in the Borderlands.

“If there were to be a season three, I wonder what would happen with the whole team that fought together so far,” she said. “You saw the ghost of Hatter introduced in the show so many times, so I have this feeling that he might come back again. So for Mira, you might also think that she could return.”

Here’s hoping…

What will happen in Alice in Borderland season 3?

We fear Arisu and co are in for a big shock next season. Despite entering what they believed to be the ‘real world’ in the season’s finale, the reveal of the Joker card suggests they’re anywhere but.

There are plenty more possible Alice in Wonderland references to be explored. For starters, we haven’t seen Tweedledum and Tweedledee making words mean what they want them to mean. So, what could a third season hold?

It could be that all the contestants are in a virtual reality environment, much like the one Arisu found himself in during the final episode. In that delusion, Arisu was tricked into believing that he was hospitalised and that these series of games were a fabrication of the mind.

Thankfully, with the help of Usagi, he clawed his way free from that mental trap — but it’s possible they all could have slipped into another when they gave up the chance to become residents of the game.

In doing so, it’s likely that a new game has already started, and they’ll have to break free. That will prove pretty difficult for the team, who have no memory of the games or their relationships with one another.

The cards have increased in difficulty, intensity and severity as the gamers transcended to the face cards level, which means the Joker now has the potential to be the cruellest of them all.

If the Joker adopts the characteristics of its name, there could be a series of sinister tricks and manipulations in store for Arisu’s battered gang as they continue to be puppeteered by the gamemasters.

Speaking of the gamemasters, Arisu and co’s successes meant the death of the existing face-card gamemasters, which were revealed to have been former gamers who became ‘citizens’.

After winning the last face-card game, the players were given the opportunity to become citizens or decline the offer and take their chances with whatever fate threw their way (their pseudo-reality, as it turned out).

While many turned down the chance to remain in the game under less precarious circumstances, new characters Banda (Hayato Isomura) and Yaba (Katsuya Maiguma) chose to become residents, which means they could be season three’s new gamemasters.

Of course, the show caught up with the source material at the end of season two, so there’s a chance the story’s been told, but the themes explored in the manga series — and the show — are so huge that they could be expanded upon in a third season.

“When we ended season one, we were halfway through the manga series,” actor Kento Yamazaki told Gamer Braves.

“I think, in general, season two is not just a death game that you’re seeing. You really dig into the existence of each character, and we dig into the theme of ‘what are we doing on this Earth, and why are living these lives?’

“It poses questions about what is life about and what is it to live. These are deeper questions that were also in the original manga. We’ve been able to deliver these in the drama series and deliver them to the world.”

But even if you were a die-hard fan of the manga, you still had plenty of surprises in the first two seasons. So, a totally original third instalment shouldn’t be too much to handle; the groundwork has been laid out pretty smartly.

“The games in season two are different, they’re more original. Of course, I like how it is portrayed in the original manga but when we adapted the story into our show I think it’ll be more thrilling if we have some original aspects,” Yamazaki said (via Geek Culture).

“Arisu as a player is enthusiastically participating in physical games. In season one, he wasn’t really aware of what’s going on; he just had to play these games. In season two, he willfully wants to participate in this game or that game.”