The unique martial arts period drama Warrior will fight on for a third season thanks to HBO Max, in a move that's a continued sign of what this new world of streaming platforms owned by studios means for the future.
It's also a very pleasant surprise for those who have been waiting eagerly for news on where the series might go next. Warrior fans have always been quick to celebrate its high-quality production values, captivating characters, and fantastic martial arts sequences. But despite that fanbase as well as vocal support from critics, like many shows produced for smaller platforms it always struggled to achieve widespread recognition. Its addition to HBO Max earlier this year, though, exposed it to a whole new audience, helping boost its recognition factor and undoubtedly contributing to
The first two seasons of Warrior, famously based on the writings of Bruce Lee, were originally produced for and broadcast on Cinemax — with Cinemax no longer in the game of producing original series, though, it makes sense for WarnerMedia to make future seasons of the show exclusive to HBO Max subscribers.
In a statement, executive producer Shannon Lee said that “Justin, Jonathan, and I were thrilled when Warrior was put on HBO platforms to be discovered by a whole new legion of fans. Now we are excited and grateful for the opportunity to do another season, and we applaud HBO Max for understanding the importance of telling this story and for continuing to support this level of representation in our industry. I just know that my father is grinning right now to see this show he dreamed of so long ago continuing to beat the odds. We have every intention of delivering the same high level of meaningful storytelling and Gung Fu action in season 3!”
A renewal like this isn't without precedent, with the most direct previous example being the animated series Harley Quinn: Seasons 1 and 2 of that show were produced for DC Universe, but the greenlight for its highly anticipated third season came from HBO Max. (Both shows also share a mutual love of kick-punching.) But today's news is also right in line with HBO Max's other announced revivals based on other WarnerMedia-owned properties, including Gossip Girl, Head of the Class, and The Boondocks. The current state of studio-owned platforms like HBO Max and Peacock may have not-great long-term consequences, but in the short term it is nice to see great undiscovered shows not just emerge, but get an opportunity to flourish anew.
When Collider's Christina Radish spoke to the Warrior cast last fall about the potential for a third season, many of them were optimistic that despite Cinemax no longer producing original series, the show might find some way to continue. As star Andrew Koji said:
As creatives, we take each jump as it might be our last. Until a TV show is on its third or fourth season, it’s never certain to go ahead. I don’t know all of those things but that’s what I’ve heard. People may want more. I know it got wrapped up in all of the technical outside circumstances with what’s happened with Cinemax but I think they’ll get some resolutions. If there’s an outcry, maybe we’ll be able to do more. One of my career goals is to Deadwood this. That show was done and they brought it back for a finale. That’s our goal — if there is an outcry. Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue. I really hope that they like this season because I think we made something special.
Congrats to the Warrior team on not having to wait as long as Deadwood did before making a comeback. The first two seasons are now streaming on HBO Max.