"Rick and Morty" season 3 was previously believed to launch sometime in 2017 given how the season 2 finale ended. However, according to a report from iDigital Times, co-creator Dan Harmon announced during this year's Magic City Comic Con that season 3 will launch before the end of 2016.
"I think Season 3 is - we're targeting around the end of this year," Harmon explained to the crowd. When the audience began to cheer he jokingly reminded, "You guys do realize we're at the beginning of this year?"
Based on Harmon's statements, fans have speculated that the third season will premiere sometime this December. Although the second season premiered in July 2015, the first season premiered as late as December 2013. By following this pattern, the studios would be able to premiere the show just in time for the holiday season.
Harmon then added that as a bonus, the third season will have 14 episodes, which is four episodes more than what season 1 had and three episodes more than season 2. This will not only make season 3 the longest in the series thus far but will also allow the season to delve into multi-part story arcs.
As previously reported, the third season will immediately tackle the cliffhanger ending of season 2, where Rick was kept captive by the Galactic Federation. According to Comic Book, this won't go exactly as planned because Morty and his family will return to Earth just to discover that it is now overrun by aliens and is being conquered by the Federation.
Other plot details for the rest of the episodes have yet to be revealed but writer Jessica Gao recently uploaded photos via Twitter showcasing the finished script for some of the third season's episodes. The photo she has shared is for episode 3 but the title has been kept hidden as it may spoil that specific episode's plot.
Harmon's announcement can be heard in the video below at the 10:24 time mark.
