Report Says 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Full of Behind-the-Scenes Drama During Prolonged Production

Jason Sudeikis reportedly has been stalling "Ted Lasso" Season 3 production due to script complications.

Report Says ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 Full of Behind-the-Scenes Drama During Prolonged Production

Fans will have to wait a while longer to see Jason Sudeikis back as Ted Lasso.

Production on Season 3 of the feel-good Apple TV+ series has been significantly delayed due to a myriad of challenges, according to a new report by Puck. Originally slated to begin filming in September 2021, production on the 12-episode season was delayed until March 2022, with shifting character arcs and script changes pushing into April 2022. Location shoots, including a sequence at the Chelsea Football Club stadium, were complicated following the club’s Russian owner being forced to sell the team over the invasion of Ukraine.

“Ted Lasso” additionally now requires more post-production time to digitally render the stadiums, prolonging the edit process. Puck reported that “Ted Lasso” is approximately 20 to 30 percent over budget for the third season of the Emmy-winning sitcom.

This marks the first season with lead star Sudeikis in charge alongside co-creators Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly. Sudeikis also previously stated that the third season will be his last on the series; it’s unclear if the show will be discontinued or Sudeikis will move to a supporting role.

While “Ted Lasso” streams on Apple TV+, the series is a Warner Bros. show with NBCUniversal as a passive producer since Sudeikis originated his Ted Lasso alter-ego in NBC Sports promos. Apple licenses the series on the “cost plus” model, which, per a Puck source, includes Apple paying the cost of production, plus a set premium, to control global rights and library rights for up to 10 years. Warner Bros. pays profit participants out of the premium, with Sudeikis and executive producer Bill Lawrence, who served as showrunner for the first two seasons. Lawrence is not on set for Season 3 as he is helming “Bad Monkey” for AppleTV+ under a Warner Bros. deal.

The “Ted Lasso” cast, including Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Toheeb Jimoh, and more, have been on contract lock, with Goldstein and Waddingham appearing in “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Hocus Pocus 2” in respective cameo roles only.

Sudeikis is said to be making over $1 million per episode for “Ted Lasso” Season 3, while producers, writers, and actors Goldstein and Hunt earn separate fees. Two-time Emmy winner Goldstein, though, earned approximately $150,000 per episode for an acting fee during Season 2; Warner Bros. is believed to be using that price as a ceiling for other actors who do not write or produce.

Goldstein stated during the 2022 Emmys that “the plan is entirely in Jason’s hands” as to when the series will end.

“I know all of us would happily do this for 20 years,” Goldstein said. “And then say, ‘Maybe we need to wrap this up, because these footballers are all on crutches.’ It’s entirely up to Jason. We’ve been writing this as if it’s the end, but it might not be. But I really don’t know.”

The multi-hyphenate talent previously added, “The cool thing about this is when we started, we plotted out everybody’s beginning, middle and end. I would say that this story is going to be over next year, regardless — even if the show finds another story to tell and goes on.”

“Ted Lasso” Season 3 does not yet have a premiere date, and most likely will not have a presence at the 2023 Emmy Awards due to the premiere deadlines.