The Empress is a period drama series set in the eighteenth century in the little town of Vienna, Germany. The story is about the young Elisabeth and how she falls for Emperor Franz, becoming his unlikely bride. She enters a world of tensions and intrigue at the Viennese court. The German show has been fairly controversial for its dramatization and fictional leaps, although it has had a successful run on Netflix for one season. Being so successful, it was obvious that a second season was afoot but when was it coming? Well, we have some news for you on that front.
The Empress Season 2: Everything We Know So Far!
The Empress was renewed for a second season as soon as the first season came to an end. At the time of renewal, showrunner Katharina Eyssen stated, “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 a new report from Prague Reporter, the production for The Empress season 2 began around September 11th or 14th in Prague. This can give us a fair idea for a release window. First season of the royal drama was shot over five months from August 2021 to January 2022 before a September 29, 2022 release date (eight months later). Assuming season 2 follows a similar production timeline, filming would take place between September and February, then a release could be expected in either late 2024 or early 2025.
A new season often bring new characters and I’m sure that The Empress has also added some valuable names to its already talented cast. However, the report doesn’t state names of any added cast. 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
No official plot details for season two have been made available online but we can take a guess where things are heading considering the ending of season one. Season one’s finale saw the tension between Elisabeth and Franz Joseph’s family rising more than ever before where the princess was asked to leave Vienna if she can’t adhere to the strict ways of the Austrian royal family. However, Elisabeth doesn’t succumb and rather reveals her pregnancy to the entire world. If the second season will follow history then Elisabeth will give birth to a girl, not a boy as the royal family had hoped.
This will certainly raise stakes and add more tension in an already strained relationship. Apart from this, another important track in season two will Franz’s young 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.
All episodes of The Empress season one are available for streaming on Netflix.
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