Days after Atlanta was officially renewed for a third season by FX, the show’s cast and crew reunited at the show’s For Your Consideration event for the Emmys to speak on what the third season will have in store. After a phenomenal second season full of surreal twists and turns, Donald Glovercompared the upcoming season to Kanye West’s Graduation for its honesty and accessibility. Additionally, writer and producer Stephen Glover told The Hollywood Reporter that the show’s writers already have ideas and that they will be focusing on more female-centric stories.
“We have some ideas,” Stephen Glover said. “We had some episode ideas that we wanted in season two at first and then they didn’t feel right. So we might use one or two of those. We left a lot of things in the air with season two.”
There’s currently only one woman, Stefani Robinson, in the Atlanta writer’s room. “I think we have some cool ideas in season three that’ll put some more women on screen,” he added. “There’s a very specific perspective from the Atlanta woman that I think we’re gonna explore in season three.”
Zazie Beetz, who plays Van, is currently the only female lead on the show, and she did get one episode that was mostly centered on just her this season, “Champagne Papi.” Zazie said the episode whet her appetite for more female-led stories on the show.
“It was so fun having this girl vibe,” she told THR. “There’s no lack of women on the set, but I think in terms of storytelling it is different just like bonding with a woman and playing with that energy in terms of Van’s character. So it is something I would like to continue exploring.”
The For Your Consideration panel screened two episodes of Season 2: “North of the Border” and “Teddy Perkins.” Donald spoke to the show’s unique ability to change things up so much from episode to episode, creating new, disparate narratives that somehow link up at the end.
“I think we kind of understand as a group that things are just made of moments,” he said. “We just focus on moments. 'Cause a good moment can really change an entire episode.”
“The more and more that I think I know where my character’s gonna go, the far left we go,” Brian Tyree Henry, who plays Al, said, echoing Donald’s words. “I just try to go in with an open mind and an open heart and just attack it the best way I can.”
