Great news for fans of the Adult Swim productions, especially those who love its top titles: “Smiling Friends” has officially been renewed for a third season!
The announcement was made at the Annecy Animation Festival, where it had also been revealed that a new series of “Regular Show” and an “Adventure Time” movie were in the making.
While producers of the programming block took their time before confirming the continuation of its #1 program, it was quite expected given the show’s immense success. Since the release of its second installment, the title has become the most-watched series on Max worldwide. Now, the burning question remains: When can we expect the third season to premiere?
When will ‘Smiling Friends’ Season 3 be released?
To determine when the third installment of “Smiling Friends” will be released on Max, we must look at the production timelines of the previous two seasons. This should give us an estimate.
Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack first conceived the idea for the show in 2017 and wasted no time pitching it to Adult Swim, which greenlit the pilot in 2018. As part of Adult Swim’s annual April Fools’ Day event, it aired unannounced on April 1, 2020.
The series was then renewed for a second season on February 9, 2022, that aired on April 1 of this year. Additionally, a special titled “The Smiling Friends Go to Brazil!” was released in between, which was announced on July 21, 2022, and aired on August 6 back then.
Does this mean that the third season of “Smiling Friends” will take another two years to animate? Probably not. Given the success of its second part, programmers at Adult Swim are likely to fasten the production process, potentially releasing the upcoming season next year.
The only setback could be that Cartoon Network’s programming block has also announced two new shows, “Ha Ha You Clowns” and “Oh My God Yes,” which will demand much of their attention. However, “Smiling Friends” has established itself as a standout production for the company and will likely receive priority treatment.
