‘Alex Rider’ Season 3 Lines Up New Foes for the Junior James Bond

Strap in, Rider-dies!

The third season of Amazon Freevee’s Alex Rider has officially (and finally!) begun production in the U.K. and Malta, and we can exclusively reveal that our favorite teen spy (Otto Farrant) is getting some new grown-ups to go toe-to-toe with. Aside from his handlers at the MI6’s Department of Special Operations, that is.

Joining the cast this season are Sofia Helin (Sweden’s The Bridge) as Julia Rothman, “an enigmatic, rich widow who, unbeknownst to the world, is a highly secretive agent with Scorpia,” better known to fans as the cabal behind Alex Rider’s deadliest encounters; Jason Wong, most recently seen in “The 355,” is also coming aboard as Nile, a dangerous Scorpia assassin, devoted to Rothman; and Kevin McNally (The Crown) as Max Grendel, described as “a shrewd and calm senior council for Scorpia, with the outward appearance of a kind, European gentleman.” Bridgerton‘s Shelley Conn is also coming aboard as Laura Kellner, a ruthless but flawed politician out to challenge the Department of Special Operations’s authority.

Freevee

Based on the YA action novels by Anthony Horowitz (who exec-produces) and adapted by Guy Burt, the third season of Alex Rider is clearly diving into his 2004 release, “Scorpia,” which sets the teenage spy on the trail of his greatest enemy: the titular criminal network. Finally free of the manipulative bosses and the Department of Special Ops, Alex embarks on a personal mission to destroy Scorpia once and for all, unaware how his plan may expose that his links to both organizations run deeper than he ever thought possible. And if you have read the books, you also know this is the installment that comes with some big twists and a life-or-death cliffhanger.

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In addition to Farrant, we’ll also the return of series originals Stephen Dillane as DSO head Alan Blunt, Vicky McClure as Alex’s handler, Mrs. Jones, fan-favorite Brenock O’Connor as his best mate Tom Harris, Marli Siu as hacker Kyra Vashenko-Chao and the fantastic Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́ as Alex’s legal guardian, Jack Starbright.

There’s no word on a season premiere date, but here’s hoping that Alex Rider will be back on our screens sometime this year.