The Empress is heading back to Netflix for Season 2 after its first batch of episodes was a massive international hit.
The Empress is heading back to Netflix for Season 2 after its first batch of episodes was a massive international hit.
The German royal drama - which first debuted in September 2022 - chronicles the real-life history of Empress Elisabeth of Austria as she goes from sixteen-year-old primed to rule to the empress of one of Europe's 19th-century superpowers.
Season 2 of The Empress has been officially confirmed by Netflix, with the announcement coming shortly after the end of Season 1.
At the time of the Season 2 renewal, showrunner Katharina Eyssen told Netflix, "We’re very happy to be able to continue telling this exciting story" and are "incredibly grateful that we were able to touch so many different people [across the world]:"
“I’m incredibly grateful that we were able to touch so many different people in Germany and all over the world with our series. The story of Elisabeth’s life is a story of the power of love, but also of the courage to be different and of hope for a better future. And that’s what we need at this time. And that’s why we’re very happy to be able to continue telling this exciting story.”
According to the Prague Reporter, production on the series got started between September 11-14 in Prague, meaning a release window is starting to come into frame for the royal drama.
Season 1 was shot over five months from August 2021 to January 2022 before a September 29, 2022 release date (eight months later). If Season 2 follows a similar production timeline, filming between September and February, then a release could be expected in either late 2024 or early 2025.
Who’s Cast In The Empress Season 2?
While detailed casting info still has yet to be announced for The Empress Season 2, Netflix confirmed several actors/characters who are expected to return.
Of course, The Empress would not be complete without its titular royal, so Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth von Wittelsbach will be around, as she continues her journey into the world of playing politics and royal romance.
On the other side of the series' central romance is Philip Froissant's Franz Joseph I of Austria who will return as the ruler of the European nation.
The full confirmed returning cast can be seen below:
- Devrim Lingnau - Elisabeth von Wittelsbach
- Philip Froissant - Franz Joseph I of Austria
- Melika Foroutan - Sophie, Archduchess of Austria
- Johannes Nussbaum - Archduke Maximilian
- Almila Bagriacik - Countess Leontine von Apafi
- Jördis Triebel - Ludovika, Duchess in Bavaria
What Will Happen in The Empress Season 2?
No official plot details have been revealed yet for Season 2 of The Empress.
Season 1 ended with the rifts between Elisabeth and Franz's family growing evermore fractured.
The young Empress was asked to leave Vienna if she could not conform to the strict ways of the Austrian royal family.
However, Elisabeth threw a wrench in the wheel of these plans to end Season 1, finally announcing her pregnancy to the world, meaning if she sticks around she could potentially bear the heir the royals have been waiting for.
Going into Season 2, surely Franza and Elisabeth's incoming child will be a major focus. If the series follows history, then things will be in for a dramatic turn, as it is revealed Elisabeth is pregnant with a daughter, and not a son like the royal family had hoped.
Surely, the arrival of their daughter will cause the already strained relationship between Elisabeth and her husband's family even more, as she becomes continually unwanted in the palace.
Another thread Season 2 will likely tug on centers on Franz's younger brother Maximilian and his planned coup. As the young archduke drove a wedge between the family throughout Season 1, Season 2 could see him finally take action against his older brother to hopefully take the throne for himself.