The German series The Empress (Die Kaiserin) first appeared on Netflix in September 2022. Just over two years later, after an extensive filming period, we’re finally getting a glimpse of the new season, with a return date confirmed today courtesy of a first-look official trailer.
Netflix has been teasing a 2024 return all year, with the show appearing in the Next on Netflix Germany showcase a little earlier this year. As a recap, Netflix quickly renewed the show after an impressive five-week stint in the Netflix global top 10s following its release. The streamer then confirmed production was underway in September 2023 and now, the show is finally due back on November 22nd.
What can you expect going into the second season? Netflix has provided an updated synopsis for the German period drama series:
“The first crisis is barely over and the young couple wants to enjoy their fresh marital bliss when dark clouds gather over Schönbrunn Palace: Franz (Philip Froissant) unexpectedly faces a powerful adversary in Europe. And Elisabeth (Devrim Lingnau) comes under great pressure, because an heir to the throne is to secure the future of the empire as quickly as possible.
When fate strikes with all its power, the couple’s love threatens to finally break apart. And Elisabeth must fight not only for her family, but also for the integrity of her soul…”
You can see some of that playout in the new trailer released this morning. The new episodes were filmed in Germany (specifically in Bavaria), the Czech Republic, and Italy.
We also get a glimpse of the new cast members confirmed for season 2, including Josephine Thiesen as Princess Marie Charlotte of Belgium and Christoph Favre as Napoleon III. That’s in addition to returning stars Devrim Lingnau, Philip Froissant, Johannes Nussbaum, Almila Bagriacik, Runa Greiner, and Alexander Finkenwirth.
The news of The Empress’s return comes hot off the heels of the Italian period drama series The Law According to Lidia Poët’s announcement to return at the end of October. That series originates from Italy, of course, but if you’re a fan of one, you’ll almost certainly enjoy the other.
Here’s a few more of the newly released stills from the upcoming second season:
Are you looking forward to the return of The Empress on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.