Season 2 of Haunted Hotel has only been available on Netflix for a week, but its creator and showrunner, Matt Roller, has already given fans reasons to be optimistic about a third stay at the Undervale. In an interview with Sonny Bunch for The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood podcast, Roller discussed the future of the show, how his team managed a season turnaround in just one year, and what plans he has in store if Netflix comes knocking again.
Season 2 of Haunted Hotel arrived on Netflix on October 9, 2026, with eight new episodes, just in time for the spooky season.
Has Netflix renewed Haunted Hotel for a Season 3?
At the moment, no. The official renewal status on Netflix is pending (last updated: October 16, 2026), and Roller himself was candid in admitting that he is as much in the dark as any viewer regarding a final decision.
"I feel good about it. I currently have no more information than anyone else," the showrunner stated.
That should not be cause for alarm. Season 1 received its renewal just a week after its premiere in September 2025, but Netflix does not work on a fixed schedule, and decisions regarding animated series often take longer. Sometimes, when full renewal arrives, fans can wait years for a return, as has happened with Blue Eye Samurai.
Roller explained that the platform usually waits to see the performance of a season before committing to the next, which creates a particular bottleneck for animated series: "In the Netflix model... you don't get the next season until they see the numbers for the previous one, which means there always comes a point where all work stops and you can't get ahead on episodes to then release in an annual cycle."
Season 1 managed to break into the weekly top 10s, an achievement in itself for adult animated series today, but the same has not happened with Season 2, suggesting it accumulated fewer than 1.8 million views in its premiere week. The series has appeared in the daily top 10s of 36 countries, down from the 59 countries reached by Season 1. Despite this, reviews remain very positive for the new installment. We reached out to Netflix regarding the status of the series this week, but the platform had no updates to share.
Season 3 is already written and will have more episodes
The biggest news from the interview is that the scripts for Season 3 are already completed. Roller was careful to clarify that this does not guarantee a renewal, but he confirmed that the writers' room has finished the season entirely.
"Yes, we have it all. And I'm very excited about it. I would love to make it because I think it's very solid and builds on season two in the same way that season two built on one. So we are ready to get going as soon as we get the word," the showrunner affirmed.
Roller also revealed that plans call for Season 3 to have 10 episodes, compared to the eight in Season 2. This would put it back in line with Season 1, which also featured 10 episodes. Adding the two seasons already available on Netflix, the series would reach 28 episodes in total.
When could Haunted Hotel Season 3 arrive on Netflix?
If Netflix renews the series, Roller aims to premiere Season 3 before Halloween 2027. Keeping the show on an annual cycle tied to the spooky season is clearly a priority for him.
"In the event of a renewal, season three will arrive before Halloween 2027. It's important to me that we maintain that spooky season cycle," he explained.
He added that although the show was not originally conceived as a Halloween series, "it lives in the energy of that season," and he doesn't want it to premiere, for example, in May.
Roller detailed that an animated season usually takes about 18 months to produce, which clashes with Netflix's habit of renewing only after a season is already available. Shows like The Simpsons avoid this problem by receiving multi-season orders at once, so the work never stops.
After observing the internal performance of Season 1, the team wrote episodes even before its premiere, which gave them an advantage once Season 2 was officially ordered. Instead of three rounds of storyboarding of four weeks each, the team now does two rounds of three weeks, saving five or six weeks. Instead of waiting for the cast to record a full audio version of each episode before storyboarding, Roller and the editors record rough versions of each part themselves and work from there.
"We wrote some episodes, actually, before season one came out... And that gave us enough cushion to jump into production with those episodes once season two was officially greenlit. I think without that, it wouldn't be possible to do a one-year season turnaround," Roller noted, making it clear that this early decision was the key to making an annual release possible.
The showrunner indicated that these processes were refined during Season 2 and will be "even further" polished for Season 3. With the scripts already finished, the series is in a much stronger position than most animated productions waiting for a renewal.
Haunted Hotel release schedule
Season 1, with 10 episodes, arrived on Netflix on September 19, 2025. Season 2, with eight episodes, premiered on October 9, 2026. Season 3, planned with 10 episodes, would arrive before Halloween 2027 if renewed.
What to expect from the plot of Haunted Hotel Season 3
Roller kept the details under wraps, but shared some hints about the direction of a third season.
As he explained, the well of classic horror concepts is running dry, and he is not interested in resorting to direct homage or parody. Season 1 tackled the most obvious genre clichés, such as a possession episode and a serial killer episode. Season 2 delved into less obvious concepts, like the supernatural-armed hunter Dante Crowe. For Season 3, Roller is betting on a world that now feels much more lived-in:
"Our world is more lived-in and feels more real to us. And there are many more things that I think we can do within it. In season three... I can't say anything about that, but we have some very interesting conceptual episodes that will feel like horror, but are completely original to our universe," he stated.
That approach already yielded good results in the "Ghost Day Out" episode of Season 2, which Roller considers the best episode of the series to date, and which did not start from any specific horror reference.
Season 2 also pivoted toward the emotional lives of the ghosts, especially Nathan (played by Will Forte), and Stabby Paul received a tragic backstory. According to Roller, Season 3 digs even deeper in that direction: "I think we are painting a richer version of our characters, and even more so in season three."
However, don't expect the show to suddenly become a serialized story loaded with lore. Roller wants each episode to work independently, a decision that has surprised some younger fans accustomed to serialized animation: "I wanted to make a show where, if there was a good episode, you could tell your friend to watch it, and everything they needed to understand it was inside that episode."
The showrunner also commented that he has "the general idea of what I would want to do for another 20 episodes," which bodes well for prospects beyond Season 3, although he admitted that the start of each season still begins with the same question: "Oh my god, what are we going to do this season?"
How viewers can help Haunted Hotel get a Season 3
As Roller said before the Season 2 premiere, "if people watch it, we can make more." This time, he was more specific about which metrics Netflix watches closely.
Watching it now is key: Netflix places a lot of weight on the first two weeks of a series' viewership, so if anyone was planning to catch up, now is the time.
Finishing the season and rewatching it also matters: the completion rate is relevant, and Roller recalled that Season 1 earned the "highly rewatched" badge from Netflix.
Giving two thumbs up is especially influential: Roller explained that the double thumbs up is one of the key signals Netflix uses, and that a single thumb is likely interpreted as "good, but not incredible."
Roller's final message to fans was simple: "If you have any interest in the show, watch it now because Netflix really values those first two weeks of viewership. Watch it whenever you want, but put it on now."
Frequently Asked Questions about Haunted Hotel Season 3
Has Netflix renewed Haunted Hotel for a Season 3?
No, as of October 16, 2026, Netflix has not announced an official decision on the renewal of the series for a third season.
Are the scripts for Haunted Hotel Season 3 finished?
Yes, showrunner Matt Roller confirmed that the writers' room completed all the scripts for Season 3, although he clarified that this does not guarantee a renewal by Netflix.
How many episodes would Haunted Hotel Season 3 have?
According to Roller, Season 3 is planned with 10 episodes, in line with the 10 episodes of Season 1 and up from the eight in Season 2.
When would Haunted Hotel Season 3 premiere on Netflix?
If Netflix renews the series, Matt Roller aims to premiere Season 3 before Halloween 2027, maintaining the annual cycle associated with the spooky season.
How can fans help get Haunted Hotel renewed?
According to Roller, watching the series during the first two weeks of release, finishing the entire season, and giving a double thumbs up on Netflix are the actions that most influence the renewal decision.
