'The Bear' Season 4 Secretly Greenlit at Hulu
'The Bear' Seasons 3 and 4 will film back-to-back in Chicago, according to reports.
Hulu is cooking up more episodes of The Bear. Season 3 is already in production after a November greenlight, and now, multiple outlets report that the Jeremy Allen White-starring, Emmy-winning show was renewed for Season 4 in secret. Hulu, which airs The Bear under its "FX on Hulu" banner, has not confirmed the news.
Reports that Season 4 is in the works first surfaced over the past week in local Chicago outlets, including Reel Chicago. In a March 9 report, the outlet said "FX/Hulu wants a fourth season," adding that series creator/showrunner Christopher Storer agreed to additional episodes. However, the outlet said it was unclear if the episodes, set to film back to back with Season 3, were a continuation of the show's third season or episodes for Season 4. Flash forward to March 14, outlets including Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter said sources confirmed the episodes are part of The Bear Season 4, which will film back to back with Season 3 in order to maintain the show's annual release target to accommodate talent schedules.
The Bear debuted on Hulu in 2022 and follows White's Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, "a young chef from the fine dining world" who "comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop after a heartbreaking death in his family." A synopsis of the show continues, "A world away from what he's used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership, his strong-willed and recalcitrant kitchen staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother's suicide. As Carmy fights to transform both the shop and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew that ultimately reveals itself as his chosen family."
The series, which debuted to critical acclaim and has numerous Emmy nominations for its debut season, also stars Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, and Matty Matheson. Storer created The Bear, which is produced by FX Productions, and serves as executive producer alongside Joanna Calo, Hiro Murai of Super Frog, Josh Senior, and Matheson. Tyson Bidner serves as producer.
At this time Season 3 does not have an exact release date, and neither FX nor Hulu have confirmed the Season 4 renewal news, which has sparked some speculation about the future of the show. Deadline reported that there is speculation Season 4 could be The Bear's final season, similar to the acclaimed FX comedy series Atlanta, which concluded after shooting Seasons 3 and 4 back to back. However, sources said the future of the show past Season 4 "has not been determined" and "Season 5 of The Bear remains a possibility."