Penny Dreadful trailer: Eva Green and Josh Hartnett return for 'erotically-charged' season 3

The Penny Dreadful season 3 trailer has just been unveiled and it probably won't do a good job of cheering you up if you've had a tough week. Amidst the pallid complexions, cantankerous attitudes and glimpse of a coffin, it's not exactly sunshine and rainbows for the upcoming season but that's why we love it.

With the opening lines including the menacing phrase, "beasts will feed," it's certain that the show, starring eye candies Josh Hartnett and Eva Green, is back with a bang. And seeing as the Showtime series owes its success to being a tad depressive and ominous – thriving on dark themes and sinister storylines – it's no wonder they're playing on its strengths.

The newest preview of the gothic-horror drama features Green's troubled protagonist eagerly trying to escape another supernatural foe and tasked to prevent the end of days. Not too much to ask, then. It also sees the return of Tony Award-winning star Patti LuPone (American Horror Story) who guest starred last season as the Cut-Wife as a regular in the new role of Dr. Seward – an American therapist who treats Vanessa (Green) with an unconventional new approach. Wes Studi (Hell On Wheels) will also join the cast as Kaetenay – an intense Native American with a deep connection to Ethan (Hartnett) who also becomes an ally to Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton).

Showtime describes the show as "An erotically-charged, profoundly unsettling new saga, 'Penny Dreadful' completely reinvents literature's most iconic and terrifying characters. Dorian Gray, Victor Frankenstein and timeless figures from Dracula join a core of original characters in a dark and brutal quest to save a soul — even as they grapple with their own monstrous temptations."

The third season will premiere on Sunday 1 May at 10pm on Showtime. Its UK broadcaster Sky Atlantic is yet to announce the premiere date for season 3. Watch the trailer below.