'The Circle' Season 3: Everything We Know

Netflix's reality show The Circle is known for its twists and turns. Seasons one and two of the hit social media competition were filled with surprises, bringing down the most popular players and elevating the dark horses all the way to the finale. Now, the Netflix gods have given us their biggest shocker yet: Season 3 of The Circle is on its way, just a few months after the release of the second season.

For those who are new to the game, The Circle takes a group of your average social media users and sequesters them in an apartment for a popularity contest. Players never meet in person, only communicating through a unique social media platform called The Circle. After a few days (or hours) of networking and games, the players must rank each other from most to least popular, and one plater gets removed from the game. The contestant who makes it to the end, be they real or catfish, wins $100,000.

When will Season 3 of The Circle premiere?

The Circle Season 3 will premiere on September 8, nearly five months after Season 2 premiered back in April. The show's new season will keep the same four-part schedule, with new episodes releasing Wednesdays until the September 29 finale.

The news that we'll be getting two seasons of The Circle in one year was a welcome shock to fans, and it also shows Netflix's dedication to its hit reality show. The streamer also announced that they renewed the show for Seasons 4 and 5 earlier this month. The streak of good news for the U.S. Circle may show good news for the international iterations of the show, like the UK version which was canceled by Channel 4 earlier this year. No word yet on whether Netflix may pick it up, but with the popularity of the U.S. version, there's a good chance.

Is there a trailer?

Netflix just dropped a juicy first look at The Circle season 3 which promises some out-of-control catfishing. "I'd lie to the Pope to win this this game," one of the contestants proudly declares. The trailer also teases some new twists this season from a clone contestant to "burner profiles" and a new rule about blocking in person that is sure to start some major drama.

On September 1, Netflix introduced the the nine new players entering the chat this season. The social media-savvy group includes a pair of sisters (Ava and Chanel from Los Angeles) playing together; 52-year-old Michelle from South Carolina; 30-year-old Calvin from Miami; and 35-year-old Ruksana from New Jersey. But as fans know, contestants come and go all the time on The Circle so don't be surprised if this cast grows quickly.

When was Season 3 filmed?

The quick return for Season 3 is courtesy of an expanded production schedule during the pandemic. According to Distractify, Seasons 2 and 3 of The Circle were filmed at the same time at the show's iconic apartment building in Salford, outside of Manchester, England.

Season 3 contestants likely undertook the same lockdown protocols as the Season 2 players, with the cast landing in Manchester and quarantining for at least two weeks before filming. Production reportedly ended in November 2020, meaning the Season 3 contestants have been waiting nearly a year for their episodes to air (which sounds like something out of the Love is Blind playbook).

Will the rules of Season 3 be different?

The basic set-up of The Circle (real people vs. catfish, random games, no contact except through the social media app) will remain the same, but the specifics of the competition won't. The show knows how to throw us for a loop, changing the schedule of when players get eliminated, how many leave at once, and who holds the power during elimination to keep the players and audience on its toes.

Last year, the competition was turned on its head through the introduction of The Joker, a secret role where one player gets secret info and the ability to talk to other players anonymously. The new power was strong enough to ensure Courtney's appearance in the final–with the help of his own gossip skills, of course. We don't know whether The Joker will return or if there will be a new power-up, but that's part of what makes The Circle a must-watch competition.