Entertainment

'Riviera' Season 3 Will Take Georgina To Several New, Glamorous Locations

Great news for fans of French soap opera Riviera: it's been renewed for Season 3. The second season only just premiered in the UK and is set to hit Sundance Now in the U.S. on June 20, but the show's network was so confident in it that the series has already been green-lit for more. According to Variety, Riviera Season 3 will likely premiere sometime in 2020, after it wraps the filming beginning this fall. And we already know there will be something to look forward to: star star Julia Stiles told Deadline that Season 2 ends with "another big cliffhanger" that tees up Season 3.

Stiles previously told Harper's Bazaar that she's excited to keep playing Georgina through all the wild times that have come her character's way. "I felt like I hadn't really seen anything like Riviera on TV and the character of Georgina really struck me because she seemed really strong and had this backbone – and so you want to know, why is she staying in this situation after such tragedy?" Stiles said. "I thought she was sort of reckless and that’s why I was drawn to her. I feel really lucky to get to play her — she is so complex and I think you see that because of how long the audience gets to see her develop."

Not only will fans get to see Georgina's story continue to unfold in Season 3, but they'll also be treated to a change in location — or rather, several. Deadline reported that the new season will take place in the South of France, Argentina, and Venice. Of the decision to take the show global, Director of Programming at Sky Entertainment, Zai Bennett, said in a statement provided to Deadline: "We set out to make the most glamorous show in the world and now we are taking that glamour to a host of new locations which will provide even more intrigue, danger, and beauty."

It's not surprising that the show has been picked up for a third season. According to another Deadline article, the show was the UK network Sky's most successful original show. The first season averaged 2.3 million viewers per episode and 20 million downloads.

Because Riviera was such a hit on Sky, it caught the attention of U.S. networks Sundance Now and Ovation, who both picked it up to air. Season 2 will drop all at once on Sundance Now on June 20, and may later air serially on Ovation as Season 1 did. The same will likely be true for Season 3, which as mentioned, is expected to arrive sometime in 2020. Season 1 premiered on Sundance Now in September, but Season 2 is airing in June. Perhaps Season 3 will be sometime between summer and fall 2020. Honestly, it's hard to predict.

Whenever Riviera does come back, expect plenty of drama, intrigue, and twists in all of the locations the show travels to. And in the meantime, savor as much of Season 2 as you can.