‘Starstruck’ Renewed for Season 3 at HBO Max

Rose Matafeo’s critically acclaimed rom-com series “Starstruck” has been renewed for Season 3, HBO Max and co-producer BBC Three announced.

Matafeo stars in the series as Jessie, an aimless millennial New Zealander living in East London who has a chance encounter with Tom Kapoor (Nikesh Patel), an A-list actor, on New Year’s Eve. The show follows them as they navigate their attraction to each other, which is complicated by Tom’s career, Jessie’s quirky group of friends and their mutual inability to communicate properly. Season 2 of the show ended with the two temporarily breaking up, but after her friends help her realize her tendency to run from relationships when they get serious, Jessie apologizes to Tom and the two reunite.

Aside from Matafeo and Patel, Emma Sidi plays Kate, Jessie’s flatmate and best friend. Recurring cast members include Al Roberts, Jon Pointing, Joe Barnes, Sindhu Vee, Nic Sampson, Lola-Rose Maxwell, Abraham Popoola, Ambreen Razia, Nadia Parkes, Liz Kingsman, Russell Tovey and Minnie Driver. The series is co-written by Matafeo with Alice Snedden and Nic Sampson. The third season will see Matafeo and Snedden direct all six episodes.

“A third? Sure. Fine,” Matafeo said in a statement. “I’m truly thrilled to bring this incredibly talented cast back for a third installment, and equally excited to clamber into the director’s seat alongside my nice friend Alice Snedden who I cannot seem to get rid of.”

Since its premiere in 2021, “Starstruck” has gained consistently positive reviews, with particular praise for Matafeo’s performance. At the 2022 BAFTAs, she received a nomination for best female performance in a comedy program. The series is also a commercial success in the United Kingdom, where its first season was the most successful new comedy for BBC Three, with over three million requests on the BBC iPlayer.

Matafeo executive produces “Starstruck” with Rob Aslett, Jon Thoday, Cath Gagon, Richard Allen-Turner and Gregor Sharp for the BBC. The show is produced by Avalon. The series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, and streams on HBO Max in the United States.

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