The Empress Season 2: The 2022 German historical drama is coming back with another season. Here’s everything you need to know!
- The Empress premiered on Netflix on September 29, 2022.
- Netflix announced the renewal of The Empress for a second season on November 9th, 2022.
Period dramas have so much to enjoy, from lavish stories to ornate costumes. These TV shows and movies serve as instant gateways into different periods with the push of a button. Therefore, if you enjoy historical dramas, The Empress will be high on your list of must-watch shows.
The Empress is a German Netflix Original historical romantic drama series written by Katharina Eyssen and based on the early life and romance of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. It premiered on Netflix on September 29, 2022. For two weeks, the show was Netflix’s second-most-watched series worldwide and the eighth-most-popular non-English series of 2022.
Therefore, fans are wandering here and there to know whether the has been renewed or not. Well, look no further. This article will walk you through everything you need to know about The Empress season 2.
Netflix renewed The Empress
The Empress debuted on Netflix in September 2022, and as soon as it did, it captivated fans with its stunning gowns, gripping love stories, and lavish palaces. It emerged as one of the most successful German originals in recent years.
Netflix announced the renewal of The Empress for a second season on November 9th, 2022. Even though the decision was made six weeks after the season one premiere, it has nonetheless sparked interest among the show’s fans.
In a statement on Instagram around the time of renewal, the showrunner of the series, Katharina Eyssen, said:
I am incredibly grateful that we were able to touch so many different people in Germany and around the world with our series. The story of Elisabeth’s life is a story of the power of love, but also the courage to be different and the hope for a better future. And that’s what we need right now. And that’s why we’re very happy that we can continue to tell this story.
The Empress garnered strong viewership on its debut. Within the first two weeks of its release, it garnered over 106 million hours views and, for at least a week, was the most-watched non-English language series on Netflix. In total, the show picked up 159.8 million hours across five weeks.
The Empress Season 2 Release Date: When will it arrive on Netflix?
Production on the second season started in Fall 2023, with Netflix DE confirming that filming was underway as of September 27.
Since the filming is underway, we can expect the second season of The Empress to land on Netflix sometime in 2024. We will update this page when Netflix announces the release date.
The Empress Season 2 Plot
Sixteen-year-old Bavarian Duchess, Elisabeth “Sisi” von Wittelsbach, falls in love with her sister, Duchess Helene, intended fiancé, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, and they marry.
She moves to Vienna and finds herself navigating the complexity of court politics and her husband’s scheming family. Her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophia, who is also her aunt, antagonizes her almost immediately.
In the first season, Elisabeth gives birth to Archduchess Sophie of Austria, the first of her four children. Elisabeth found herself at odds with her mother-in-law since the latter assumed responsibility for parenting the former’s children, despite the fact that the birth of her first kid was the proudest event of her life.
But Elisabeth dies from a high fever while travelling in Hungary with her kid. All of the surviving children subsequently grow apart from their moms, who began to exhibit “unmotherly” traits.
The Empress Season 2 is therefore anticipated to focus on Elisabeth’s life following her pregnancy and the first few years of motherhood after the tragic death of her firstborn child.
Speaking to TVMovie.de, some of the actors give insights on the upcoming season.
Philip Froissant, who plays Emporer Franz said (translated from German to English):
In season one we see that Franz emancipates himself more and more from his mother and begins to chart his own path as a ruler. I would like to see this journey followed in season two. He has children. Being a father will change him. There are wars coming up – lots of domestic and foreign policy issues that are super exciting. I want to see what this does to the relationship between Elisabeth and Franz.
Melika Foroutan, who plays Archduchess Sophie, said:
Since the Archduchess has had a lot of influence on the upbringing of her grandchildren, I think there will continue to be tensions between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. I would like to see the aspect of the approaching loss of power due to the increasing emancipation of the son, Emperor Franz Joseph, given even more space in a second season.
The Empress Season 2 Cast
It’s been confirmed that Devrim Lingnau will return to reprise her role as Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, aka Sisi/Sissi. Along with her, the following cast will also be there for The Empress Season 2. Check it out:
- Devrim Lingnau as Elisabeth von Wittelsbach
- Philip Froissant as Franz Joseph I of Austria
- Melika Foroutan as Sophie, Archduchess of Austria
- Johannes Nussbaum as Archduke Maximilian
- Almila Bagriacik as Countess Leontine von Apafi
- Jördis Triebel as Ludovika, Duchess in Bavaria
Where to watch The Empress?
The Empress exclusively streams on Netflix.
Would you like to see a second season of The Empress on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
