School Spirits Creators Break Down Season 3 Trailer, Promising The Darkest Story Yet

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Season 3 of School Spirits is coming to Paramount+ on January 28th, and ScreenRant has just released a sneak peek trailer. The last season ended with Maddie Nears (Peyton List) returning to life, but her friend Simon (Kristian Ventura) remained a ghost. To make things even more complicated, Maddie’s ghost boyfriend, Wally (Milo Manheim), found himself at the doorway to the afterlife.

Season 3 of School Spirits isn’t just about relationships; the boundary between the world of spirits and the town of Split River is becoming increasingly fragile. While Maddie deals with feeling lost, she needs to be brave and team up with her friends to solve the mysteries surrounding the school and town. Plus, things get interesting with the addition of horror movie star Jennifer Tilly as a new villain!

To mark the arrival of School Spirits season 3, ScreenRant spoke with creators Megan and Nate Trinrud about the new trailer. They hinted at even more frightening moments and a generally darker feel for the season, discussed the emotional challenges facing Maddie and Simon, and touched on the question of what might happen to Wally.

Keep reading to find out what the trailer reveals, and take a look at the new artwork for season 3 – it perfectly captures Maddie’s challenges.

Photo credit: Paramount+

School Spirits Season 3 Leans Into The Stephen King Vibes

Okay, so School Spirits has always teased that something bigger was going on, but honestly, the ghosts Maddie’s dealt with so far have mostly been well-meaning, or just… lost, like poor Mr. Martin. But the Season 3 trailer? Forget subtlety! It’s making it super clear that real darkness is heading for Split River, and I have a feeling things are about to get seriously creepy.

Megan revealed that the seeds for such a twist have been planted throughout the course of the show.

Megan Trinrud highlighted a key question from last season posed by Mr. Martin: “Why are we all here? Why do we feel trapped?” The team was fascinated by this idea and wanted to investigate the possible reasons for a repeating pattern of trauma and negativity in this location.

We were interested in the concept of history repeating itself, both in a supernatural sense—like ghosts or spirits—and in the real world. We’ve developed some compelling ideas and details that really bring this theme to life.

Nate expounded on the scope of each season and the inspirations that helped shape them in turn.

In the first season, we explored Maddie’s personal struggles and what troubled her. Season two shifted focus to the ghosts at the school and the origins of their haunting. This season, we’re asking what’s causing the haunting of Split River itself. Like we do with all our characters, we’re examining how past traumas – whether inherited or long-hidden – affect people when they finally come to light.

Delving into trauma has allowed the story to become more complex and intense than the first two seasons of School Spirits. Nate believes viewers looking for more frightening moments will find them in this new season, and Megan agrees, describing it as a natural progression, building on what was established previously to create something grander.

It’s getting darker, and this season will definitely explore more horror themes. We’re really looking into the minds of the ghosts we know, and even some new ones.

As the season progresses, you’ll notice it becoming more experimental with different genres. We approach each season as a fresh opportunity. The first season was a classic murder mystery, and the second was heavily inspired by Twin Peaks. This time around, we’re drawing a lot of inspiration from Stephen King and the horror movies we loved from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.

Maddie Has Some Healing To Do

Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+

Though Maddie is back in her own body and herself again, the trailer shows she’s still struggling with a connection to the spirit world. Interestingly, the show’s creators have linked this internal conflict to the lingering emotional pain caused by her mother, Sandra’s, struggles with alcoholism.

We created this show largely to explore the impact of having a parent who battles difficult issues. In the series, Maddie’s mother deals with addiction and alcoholism, and as we discovered in the first season, that struggle ultimately led to her connection with the spirit world.

This season, we’re exploring what it’s like to experience trauma, recover, and then rebuild your life. Many people we know work hard to overcome difficult times and get help, but that’s often just the beginning. Addressing the trauma is one thing, but truly healing means learning to live with it and integrate those lessons into everyday life.

This season, we see Maddie adjusting to life after the events of last season. She’s back with her mother, trying to reconnect with the living world, but she’s still connected to her ghostly friends and the spirit world. The central question is how she can balance these two very different parts of her life and find her place when she’s pulled in opposite directions.

Maddie understands what the characters on the show are going through. After her father died, she had to become the adult in her family, secretly managing her mother’s struggles while pretending everything was okay at school. Megan explained that this current feeling of anxiety is a continuation of the burdens she’s carried for years, even though returning to normal life after a difficult time is new for her.

Maddie has been deeply affected by everything that’s happened. She’s a different person now, and can’t go back to how she was before. This experience has changed how she sees and interacts with the world. A big part of what’s interesting to watch this season is seeing Maddie struggle to balance her old life with the new realities she’s faced, and how she navigates returning home.

This is central to Maddie’s personality because she grew up navigating two very different realities as the child of an alcoholic. At home, she experienced a lot of fear, shame, and instability. Outside of home, with friends and at school, she tried to appear like a typical teenager. This duality isn’t new for Maddie, but it will allow us to explore her character more fully and see how she copes with major life transitions.

Simon’s Not Dead, Right?

Photo Credit: Paramount+

Okay, so School Spirits season 2 left me totally shocked – Simon ended up stuck as a ghost! We knew Kristian Ventura was coming back for season 3, but the new trailer finally gives us a clue about what’s happening with him. Apparently, he doesn’t even think he’s dead, which is…wild. The showrunners aren’t saying much about how this affects his relationship with Maddie, but they’ve made it clear that their friendship is super important to the whole story. I’m really curious to see how they handle it!

A core part of the show has always been the strong, platonic bond between Maddie and Simon – a deep friendship where they consistently support each other. Even when Maddie was struggling, Simon was able to help her. This season, things are different; Simon is the one who needs help, and Maddie is feeling helpless from the outside. The interesting question now is how she can rescue him, especially with the help of her new friends.

As a movie fan, I’m really invested in their connection – it’s something truly special. I have a feeling we’re going to see that relationship grow a lot this season, and it’s going to unlock some big secrets, not just for them as individuals, but for everything happening at Split River, both inside and outside of school. Honestly, their friendship is at the heart of the whole story, and it drives pretty much everything that happens.

Megan explained that even strong friendships face challenges, and this season’s characters will definitely encounter them. She hinted that a central mystery revolves around a character needing help, and the show will explore the limits of their friendship as they try to support him. She added that it will be exciting to see how far their bond can stretch when put to the test.

It’s still unclear what the town believes happened to Simon, particularly since the show has often focused on how his loss impacts families. We’ve seen important roles for Maddie’s mother, Xavier’s father, and Nicole’s brother, who even helped the group solve problems. Though the showrunners haven’t said if any of Simon’s family will appear, they hinted at new personal storylines for several characters.

We’re discovering much more about what shapes our characters – both the ghosts and the living people – and getting a personal look at their everyday struggles beyond the main mysteries of the show.

Megan playfully pointed out they were adding to the difficulties faced by people who were already under a lot of pressure, by showing what their everyday lives were like beyond their spiritual practices. Nate, however, offered a more thoughtful and artistic way of looking at it.

In high school, students lead dual lives – one at home and one at school. Our show has always reflected that, but this season, we’re doing something new. The personal stories of our characters are connecting more closely to the main mystery, forcing them to confront challenges both inside and outside of school. This allows us to really delve into what our regular characters are going through in their everyday lives.

Jennifer Tilly Will Bring Order To Split River… Or Die Trying

Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+

Even with limited screen time in the season 3 trailer, Jennifer Tilly’s character, the district superintendent, immediately makes a strong impression. Her slow, deliberate delivery of the line, “Disruption in this school will not be tolerated,” is quite intimidating. But what impact will she have on Split River High?

The show’s creators didn’t reveal much, but Nate offered a tip for viewers trying to solve the unfolding mystery. He said, “This character was introduced in season two in a very subtle way. If you rewatch that season, you’ll find clues about what she’s planning this season.” Megan agreed and added a few more hints.

The school is facing intense scrutiny right now. Recent events have brought a lot of attention from the outside world, forcing people to address some serious issues. Everything is being closely examined, and Jennifer Tilly is caught up in this situation.

Nate also spoke highly of Jennifer Tilly, calling her a true icon and expressing how fortunate they were to have her on the show this season. He praised her talent, her collaborative spirit, and described her as a genuinely kind and fun person.

Is Milo Manheim’s Wally Crossing Over? Stay Tuned!

Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+

The second season of School Spirits left viewers wondering what would happen to Wally after he seemed to have a breakthrough. The trailer for season 3 deliberately keeps his future unclear, showing him briefly. Adding to the speculation, the actor who plays Wally was recently cast in Tangled, leading fans to question how long he’ll stay with the show. However, viewers are really invested in the relationship between Wally and Maddie, and the actor himself has said he enjoys playing the role.

The showrunners avoided directly addressing whether Manheim would return this season. However, they spoke thoughtfully about what a positive outcome for Wally could be, and whether a future with Maddie is possible for him.

That’s a great question. Let me answer it more broadly, thinking about the show as a whole, and not just focusing on Wally. A core theme we’ve always explored with this series is dealing with grief and loss. Learning to cope and move forward after losing someone you love is incredibly difficult, and it affects everyone differently. Ultimately, we’re exploring what it means to say goodbye, even when you’re not prepared to.

I’m not sure how deeply we need to explore the connection between Wally and Maddie, but the fact remains that Maddie is now living in a reality where Wally is gone. Even if the doorway appeared, what future could there possibly be for their relationship?

Nate went on to describe how Wally and Maddie’s connection mirrored the main ideas explored in School Spirits.

Nate Trinrud explains that their show tackles difficult themes like grief and loss. While they enjoy popular teen drama elements like romance, they also want to be realistic about the fact that all things eventually end.

It’s important to realize that life doesn’t always have neat, happy endings, but you can still find lasting happiness. While it’s painful to lose someone you love, it’s better to have experienced that love in the first place. Our show explores this idea – that the connections we make with others are what truly matter, and those relationships are precious because they won’t last forever. We need to appreciate them while we can, because you never know when they might end.

Our show is full of surprises – you never know what’s around the corner! But even with all the unexpected twists, the connection between Maddie and Wally feels genuine, and I’m really looking forward to seeing their story unfold.

Megan believes the relationship between Maddie and Wally will create ongoing mysteries for the main character, issues that will surface repeatedly throughout the story, no matter how their romance resolves. As she explains, “The story will keep asking what each of them gained or lost through this connection, and there’s a lot of potential to delve into those effects.”

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2026-01-08 21:05