After much anticipation, “Beauty and the Beast” has been renewed for a fourth season at the CW, the net announced Friday, also setting a summer premiere date for season three.

The fan favorite drama will return with its 13-episode third season on May 21. Season four will air later in the 2015-16 season.

Earlier this year, the CW handed early renewals to all eight of its current scripted series — “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Reign,” “Supernatural,” “The 100,” “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals” — bringing the net’s scripted renewals to a total of nine.

The CW has also greenlit four pilots for the upcoming cycle, not leaving much room for more pilot orders. All potential series are dramas — “Cheerleader Death Squad,” from Marc Cherry, Neal Baer, Dan Truly and Sabrina Wind; the reinvention of “Tales From the Darkside”; ghost series “Dead People,” from “Californication” creator Tom Karpinos; and “Cordon,” from “Vampire Diaries” and “Originals” showrunner Julie Plec.

“Beauty and the Beast,” starring Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan, is produced by CBS Television Studios and Take 5 Productions/Whizbang Films. Brad Kern, Bill Haber, Paul J. Witt and Tony Thomas serve as exec producers.