Gritty Crime Drama 'Warrior' Is Coming Back for Season 3

Great news, Warrior fans! The Bruce Lee-inspired martial arts series, which originated on Cinemax, was left in limbo after the announcement that Cinemax would no longer produce original programming. But HBO Max is picking up the series for season 3. Whew!

“I feel elated,” Warrior executive producer and Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee tells Inverse. “It feels like a confluence of purpose, of timing, and coming together. It feels like what should be. I’m excited to put our voice back into the middle of things happening right now.”

Fans have waited two long years since HBO announced the season 3 pickup in April 2021.

What is Warrior about?

The gritty, action-packed crime drama is set during the Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 19th century and follows Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), a martial arts prodigy who emigrates from China to San Francisco in search of his sister. Ah Sahm becomes a hatchet man for the Hop Wei, one of the most powerful “tongs”—Chinatown crime families.

Fun fact: Bruce Lee comes from a showbiz family. His father was a performer in Chinese opera and Lee, himself, acted in over 20 films before the age of 18. He began studying Wing Chun Kung Fu at age 13.

Where can I watch Warrior?

Seasons 1 and 2 of Warrior are available to watch on HBO Max. The new season of Warrior will premiere exclusively on HBO Max, which will be rebranded as Max on May 23, 2023.

You can watch the first episode for free on the official HBO Max YouTube channel.

Where is Warrior filmed?

The first two seasons were filmed in Cape Town, South Africa., and the show returns to Cape Town for season 3. All the sets for 19th century San Francisco and Chinatown were built there.

When was Warrior season 3 filmed?

Filming began on July 19, 2022 and wrapped production in November. Jason Tobin, who plays Young Jun on the show, posted this image of the first day of filming season 3 to his Instagram account.

HBO Max tweeted this out:

What is season 3 of Warrior about?

In the aftermath of the San Francisco Riots in Chinatown, Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) uses her government connections to consolidate power while Ah Sahm (Koji) and the Hop Wei must find new ways to survive and retain what power they still have.

Co-creator Shannon Lee says, "the theme of immigration is very important. Let history be the backdrop for this action drama we’ve created."

While only four people died in the actual riots that took place in history, many more innocent lives were lost on Warrior. Likely plots will follow the breakouts for Penelope (Joanna Vanderham) and Zing (Dustin Nguyen) from their prisons—hers from a mental institution and his from an actual prison. Whether they will walk free from its confines or they make an elaborate Prison Break-style escape is anyone's guess. Another story arc is Ah Sahm's unsolicited rise to power—will this pit him against Young Jun (Tobin) as well as his sister, Mai Ling?  We'll just have to wait and see.

"I don’t want to say anything that turns out to be not what we do," showrunner Jonathan Tropper tells Inverse. "But the goal is to continue exploring themes we have been exploring, with the country’s disposition toward the newest wave of immigrants. [We will] go into the halls of government and start clarifying how immigrants end up pitted against each other in the system. But in terms of the Hop Wei and the Long Zhi, we need to get our heads wrapped around that."

When will season 3 of Warrior premiere?

Season 3 will premiere with two episodes on June 29, 2023 with episodes dropping weekly after the season's debut.

Is there a trailer for season 3 of Warrior?

HBO Max dropped a teaser trailer when they announced the premiere date. Check it out below.

Who’s in the cast of Warrior season 3?

Production cast a worldwide net to find the right actors for Warrior. The actors in this international cast hail from England, Hong Kong, Canada, Scotland, Indonesia and the U.S.

We suspect most of the cast from season 2 will be returning.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Warrior Season 1 

Andrew Koji (Ah Sahm)

Ah Sahm immigrates from China to the U.S. in search of his sister. He is a martial arts prodigy and soon finds himself employed as a hatchetman for the Hop Wei tong. He is played by British actor Andrew Koji.

Fun fact: Koji recently played one of the leads opposite Brad Pitt in the action thriller Bullet Train. Other cast in the film included Joey King, Sandra Bullock, Lady Gaga, Logan Lerman and Michael Shannon.

Olivia Cheng (Ah Toy)

Ah Toy is a madame of a Chinatown brothel and has alliances with the Hop Wei. As the owner of a brothel, she knows more than she lets on and she holds the secrets for both her caucasian and Chinese clientele.

Fun fact: Cheng was formerly a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight Canada.

Related: Our Favorite Women Warriors from Classic TV Shows

Jason Tobin (Young Jun)

Young Jun is the son and heir apparent of Father Jun, the leader of the Hop Wei Tong. He and Ah Sahm become fast friends. He is played by Hong Kong actor Jason Tobin.

Dianne Doan (Mai Ling)

Mai Ling is Ah Sahm’s sister. She shed her innocent farm girl personality after she was forced to marry a tyrant and abusive husband to save her brother. She escaped to the U.S. and is now married to the leader of the Long Zii Tong.

Fun fact: Doan played Lonnie, the daughter of Mulan and Shang Li in Disney Channel’s Descendants movies. She also played Kora, Daisy’s sister in the final season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Perry Yung (Father Jun)

Father Jun is the leader of the Hop Wei Tong and father of Young Jun. He is played by American actor Perry Yung, who is an award-winning musician.

Fun fact: Yung is skilled at playing the Japanese Shakuhachi flute, which we see him play in an episode of Warrior.

Kieran Bew (Officer Bill O’Hara)

“Big Bill” O’Hara is the head of the Chinatown squad, a patrol unit assigned to Chinatown. He has a gambling problem and his gambling debts take him down a dark path. Bill’s in debt to the Irish and Chinese mobs. He’s played by British actor Kieran Bew.

Joanna Vanderham (Penelope Blake)

Penelope Blake was the mayor’s wife, but after a particularly heated fight, the mayor was killed by Jacob (Kenneth Fok), her manservant, as he tried to protect her. The tragic events ultimately lead to Jacob's death. After an argument with her husband's successor, Walter Buckley (Langley Kirkwood), she is sent to a mental institution after he accuses her of stabbing him when in fact he injured himself so he could accuse her.

She is played by Scottish actress Joanna Vanderham.

Hoon Lee (Wang Chao)

Wang Chao is savvy businessman who deals in black market arms to the rival tongs as well as the San Francisco police. We learned in season 2 he is a father to a little girl but pretends to her that he is merely a family friend. The American actor is also an accomplished stage actor and singer and most recently played the King in the Broadway revival of The King and I.

Fun fact:  Lee previously played Job on Banshee, another show from showrunner Jonathan Tropper.

Tom Weston-Jones (Richard Lee)

Richard Lee hails from Savannah, Georgia and is disliked by most of the police force he works with as they fought for the Union and his family fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He is wanted for the murder of his two cousins whom he killed after they attempted to rape Nora, a black slave and Lee’s lover. He is played by British actor Tom Weston-Jones.

Weston-Jones recently starred in another period drama, Sanditon, based on the unfinished works of Jane Austen

Fun fact: This isn’t the first time Weston-Jones has played a member of law enforcement. He previously played Detective Kevin Corcoran in the BBC series, Copper.

Related: The Cast of Sanditon Reveal What to Expect in Series Finale!

Joe Taslim (Li Yong)

Li Yong is an enforcer for the Long Zii tong and is Mai Ling's lover. He is played by Indonesian actor Joe Taslim, who plays Sub-Zero in the latest Mortal Kombat movie.

Fun fact: Taslim was once part of the Indonesian National Judo team.

Dean Jagger (Dylan Leary)

At the end of last season, Dylan Leary was recovering from his almost-to-the-death fight with Ah Sahm. The bare-knuckle boxer is the de facto leader of the Irish mob in San Francisco. Blaming the Chinese for taking jobs away that were meant for the Irish, he will do anything for his cause. He takes a seat at the politician's table and appears to be joining forces with Buckley. He's fallen head over heels in love with Penny's sister, Sophie. He is played by British actor Dean Jagger.

Fun fact: Leary’s first television role was back in 2016 as Smalljon Umber in Game of Thrones!

Langley Kirkwood (Walter Buckley)

Buckley, once the Deputy Mayor of San Francisco, now takes on the Mayor's seat after the untimely death of Penelope's husband. He has been secretly working with Mai Ling to sell opium and bring about a tong war between the Hop Wei and Long Zii. He is played by British actor Langley Kirkwood.

Dustin Nguyen (Zing)

Zing becomes the leader of the Fung Hai tong after his predecessor is killed by Mai Ling. He has alliances with Mai Ling and the Long Zii throughout season 2 but by the end of the season, Zing is in jail. Will he find a way out of incarceration in season 3? We'll have to wait and see.

He is played by Vietnamese actor Dustin Nguyen, who directed episode 6 of season 2.

Fun fact: You may recognize Nguyen (who doesn’t appear to have aged at all) from the original 21 Jump Street series with Johnny Depp and Holly Robinson Peete where he played Harry Truman Ioki.

Celine Buckens (Sophie)

Sophie is Penny's younger and impetuous sister. She falls for Dylan Leary. With her sister in a mental institution, Sophie will likely look for a way to get her sister out. Will that mean leveraging Dylan against Buckley?

Miranda Raison (Nellie Davenport)

Davenport is a wealthy widow and philanthropist who is committed to ending the exploitation of Chinese women. She and Ah Toy are in a relationship.

Chen Tang (Hong)

Hong is a fresh off the boat Chinese immigrant who annoys Ah Sahm and Young Jun in the beginning but later endears himself to them. His weapon of choice is a whip chain he wears around his neck like it was jewelry.

Fun fact: Not long after he was cast as Yao in the live-action remake of Mulan, Tang (who was born in Japan and lived in China before his family emigrated to Memphis, Tennessee) was cast as Hong in Warrior.

What new stars are joining the cast of Warrior?

Mark Dacascos and Chelsea Muirhead will be series regulars in season 3 of Warrior.

Dacascos will portray Kong Pak, the former leader of a Long Zii-affiliated tong and Li Yong’s old friend and mentor. He was previously on Wu Assassins and Hawaii Five-0.

Muirhead plays Yan Mi, the quiet but shrewd daughter of a local printer. The Filipino-Scottish-Canadian actress was previously a series regular on Slo Pitch.

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