National Geographic is moving forward with a third season of its Genius series, which will focus on Frankenstein author Mary Shelley. The series has garnered plenty of attention for the network as its first scripted series, after having attracted the likes of Geoffrey Rush to play Albert Einstein in its first season. The role earned Rush an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination, which certainly helped raise the series’ profile as it began production on season 2, starring Antonio Banderas as Pablo Picasso.


The decision to move on to season 3 is surprising in and of itself, considering season 2 has yet to air. But the decision to make a woman the subject of the new season was apparently a forgone conclusion for the producers and the network, and reportedly the series nearly headed in that direction in season 2 before ultimately deciding on Picasso.


As reported by Deadline, National Geographic delivered the news at the network’s upfronts. Ron Howard, who is an executive producer on the series and was in attendance at the event, had this to say:


“Mary Shelley has inspired countless filmmakers with her tale of the wretch brought to life by science gone wrong, but very few have fully captured her insightful reflections on society in the myth she left behind. Few know of her struggles due to gender inequities, her additional writings, her influence on other historically significant individuals and society at large. Showcasing someone like Mary Shelley and her amazing intellect, compassion and fortitude is exactly what this series is for.”


Meanwhile, Fox 21 Television Studios President Bert Salke alluded to the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements with his comments.

“The choice of Mary Shelley as the subject of our third season speaks to the incredible depth of the franchise. How fitting at this moment in time to pivot to one of the many female geniuses in human history, and Mary’s story is both stranger than fiction and incredibly dramatic.”

Production on the new season is expected to begin later this year, which means the network will likely be casting its net far and wide to fill the role. It’s likely that National Geographic would like to continue its winning streak in terms of casting, by signing a high-profile actor or two to the role of Shelley.


Given that the author penned her most famous work while still very young, the series may want to cast two performers in the role, as it did for season 1 with both Rush and Lovesick actor Johnny Flynn playing Einstein at different stages in his life.


So far there’s no word on whether or not the network has a list of performers its looking at, but news should be forthcoming soon enough.