Sometimes you have to dig to find out if your favorite shows are returning. That is certainly the case when it comes to “The Last Kingdom.” After the exciting end to Season 2, fans instantly wanted to know if the series would be renewed for another year. The BBC and Netflix continue to remain quiet, but that hasn’t stopped many speculating that there will eventually be good news.

Now it appears the speculation has been worthwhile. A casting call suggests that “The Last Kingdom” season 3 is definitely happening. The casting call is from September, but seems to have dropped under the radar of those looking for news about the series.

The casting call also gave dates of filming. The show is filming between Oct 23, 2017 and mid-May 2018. That means the third season will likely air sometime towards the end of 2018.

Show looks for wheelchair-bound monk

So far the casting call is all fans have to go on. The showrunners are looking for someone who will play a Saxon monk who no longer has the use of his legs. That’s not all. The showrunners want to make this as realistic as possible and specifically states that they want a disabled actor to take on the role. The actor may be wheelchair-bound, be an amputee, or have another physical disability that makes movement difficult.

The unnamed character will appear in the first two episodes of the new season.

For those who want to see the actors filming, take a trip to Budapest, Hungary.

‘The Last Kingdom’ renewal expected

While this is the first look that we have a new season of the show, it’s really not that surprising. “The Last Kingdom,” based on the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwall, has been hugely successful. Even if the BBC chose not to continue the show, Netflix would have likely taken the helm entirely to continue the project.

While many Netflix shows have faced cancellation lately, “The Last Kingdom” had a strong following in season 1 before Netflix joined forces with the BBC.

Sometimes no news is good news. By not stating outright that the show was cancelled, the BBC made it clear that the show was still viable. If the ratings really were too bad, the BBC would have announced cancellation extremely quickly.

It also helps that George R.R. Martin, author of “A Song of Ice and Fire” which “Game of Thrones” is adapted from, recommends the Viking-set series.

“The Last Kingdom” season 3 will likely be based on books five and six of the Saxon Series, as other seasons have adapted two books at a time. An exact date and definitive confirmation is still to be made, but so far this looks promising.