Donald Glover’s hit show Atlanta is returning to FX with not one, but two new seasons in 2021.
The series follows two cousins who work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better not only their lives but their families as well. Donald Glover serves as Executive Producer, along with Paul Simms, Dianne McGunigle and Stephen Glover.
FX Network Executive John Landgraf announced on Thursday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Los Angeles that season 3 and 4 will make their return in 2021; the third season will contain 10 episodes while the fourth will contain 8. Landgraf explained that the two seasons would act as “part one and two” as a new beginning for the series.
“The plan is that one would air I think in January, so early next year. And then the other would air, I think, later that year, somewhere around the fall. There’ll be less than a year break between them. I can’t tell you how excited I am,” said Landgraf.
FX’s plan is to premiere the third season on January 2021 while the fourth season will release in the fall of the same year.
Landgraf said that the writers’ room process for the upcoming installments led to series creator Donald Glover pushing for even more episodes over those two seasons than planned.
“Initially, his intent was to make 16 episodes that would be broken up into eight and eight. He came back to us recently because things went so well in the writers’ room and asked if we would support 10 episodes. We said yes. So the first of those two seasons will be 10,” Landgraf said.
For Glover, “Atlanta” is part of his expanding artistic and commercial success which includes his music career — he performs and records as rapper Childish Gambino — and stars in big-screen projects including “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “The Lion King.”
When asked by a TV critic if there might be more of “Atlanta” after 2021, Landgraf answered.
“Up to him. To be clear, as long as Donald wants to make ‘Atlanta,’ I’m down for making for ‘Atlanta,’ but it’s his choice.”