According to Collider, Max has set the official premiere date for the third season of Warrior. The series is set for a summer premiere, airing on June 29, 2023.
Warrior takes place in 1870s San Francisco and revolves around the Tong Wars, depicting the story of a skilled martial artist named Ah Sahm, played by Andrew Koji (Bullet Train, Snake Eyes). He travels from China to San Francisco to find his missing sister, Mai Ling, played by Dianne Doan (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Vikings), but ends up being betrayed and sold to one of the most powerful tongs in Chinatown. Warrior is also based on the writings of Bruce Lee (Fist of Fury, Enter the Dragon).
“Since coming off the boat and entering the world of San Francisco, Chinatown, Ah Sahm has been a great fighter, but not a true martial artist or Warrior. He’s like an early draft version of the icon of Bruce Lee— always too rough around the edges and immature to become the man he should be for the people that need him. This part of the story sees him step further into his true self,” Koji said via a Deadline exclusive. “A huge choice and decision that is thrust upon him— that has been coming to him for a long time and an important reason that shows him the way.”According to ScreenRant, the news of Warrior‘s third season’s arrival came more than two years ago, however, the date was never disclosed.
In the third season of Warrior, which follows the events of the Chinatown riots from the previous season, Mai Ling takes advantage of her government connections to strengthen her hold on power. Meanwhile, Ah Sahm and the Hop Wei face the challenge of adapting to their new circumstances and finding ways to survive, according to a Deadline.
“The riot at the end of last season drastically changed the playing field in Chinatown, and when the new season begins, the tongs are fighting each other for scraps,” co-showrunner and executive producer Josh Stoddard (Kaleidoscope, The Shannara Chronicles) told Deadline via e-mail. “With the cops enforcing a slew of cruel new ordinances meant to punish the Chinese, our characters are desperate, looking for new ways forward. That means new risks, uneasy alliances, and huge betrayals that will force every single one of our characters to confront some ugly truths and lead Ah Sahm to explore the tension between the gangster he is, and the hero his people need him to be.”
Also starring are Olivia Cheng (See, Deadly Class), Joe Taslim (The Raid: Redemption, Fast & Furious 6), Jason Tobin (Jasmine, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), Mark Dacascos (Double Dragon, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum), Kieran Bew (Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Rules of the Game), Chelsea Muirhead (Impulse, Slo Pitch), Dean Jagger (Game of Thrones, Corbin Nash), Chen Tang (Mulan, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Tom Weston-Jones (Copper, Not Safe for Work), Miranda Raison (My Week with Marilyn, Spotless), Hoon Lee (Banshee, Bosch) Langley Kirkwood (Dredd, Banshee), and Perry Yung (John Wick: Chapter 2, Snakehead).
Despite building a solid fan base on Cinemax for its thrilling martial arts action, Warrior‘s future was uncertain after a two-year hiatus, according to ScreenRant. It remains unclear if the show’s loyal following has remained, but its move to HBO Max (soon to be rebranded as Max) will provide an opportunity to reach a larger audience.
Warrior, which is produced in part by Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee (Blade, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story), will feature a special guest star mid-season as a tribute to Bruce Lee, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his passing on July 20. Creator Jonathan Tropprr (The Adam Project, Banshee) has not yet revealed who the guest star is but he teased that they will “pay tribute to Bruce Lee in a unique and moving way,” according to Deadline.
”Warrior has always been a heightened post-modern take on our American history and it is extremely important to us that our show channels what the AAPI community is dealing with presently into the narrative,” said executive producer Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6, Star Trek Beyond) via Deadline.
Stay turned for more details about the third season of Warrior, which premieres on June 29, 2023, on Max.