Sisi and Franz are returning to Netflix with The Empress Season 2! The German show proved that international shows can be just as gripping as the classic Hollywood productions, leaving fans waiting for more – and more shall come.
The Empress has been renewed for a second season by Netflix – as it should – and fans can't wait for the free-spirit Sisi to return. She's got a whole mess to attend to now, the leftovers from the first season's finale (which was the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers).
The Netflix show Empress follows the very real story of Empress Elisabeth, also known as Sisi, a rebellious thorn in the Austrian court's side. For obvious reasons, it's a little bit exaggerated and dramatized to make for a good show, but Sisi was – and is – an iconic figure in history. We'll get to that!
Before we dive into the real Sisi and her life, let's take a look at Netflix's version of her and what's to come for The Empress Season 2.
The Empress Has Been Renewed, But When Will Season 2 Release?
Shortly after the Empress' premiere back in September 2022 on Netflix, the show has already been renewed for a second season in November 2022. As it's been a while, people are rightfully asking: where is season 2?
We're still waiting on an official release date to share from Netflix's side, but we can give an educated guess as to when Sisi might return to our screens at home. Back in September 2023, it has been revealed that shooting has started in Prague.
If production goes smoothly, fans could hope for a release in late 2024. But, we think that an early/mid-2025 release date is most realistic. We're open to be proven wrong, though – wanna bet, Netflix?
The Empress' Cast Returns For Season 2
The Empress wouldn't be The Empress without the cast, would it? So, good news: all the actors that made the first season so good are returning for season 2. Here's the main cast:
- Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth aka Sisi
- Philip Froissant as Franz, Emperor of Austria
- Melika Foroutan as Sophie, Archduchess of Austria
- Johannes Nussbaum as Archduke Maximilian
- Jördis Trieben as Ludovika, Duchess in Bavaria
- Almila Bagriacik as Countess Leontine von Apafi
Most of them have a lot to do in the second season – let's recap, shall we?
The Empress On Netflix: Season 1 Recap
It's been a while since The Empress came out on Netflix and if you're anything like me, you probably binged it in September 2022 (and have binged several other shows since then – The Witcher, anyone?).
Still, the season finale still lives rent-free in my head: Sisi's kind of down on her luck and heartbroken. Franz and his mother both want the marriage annulled and Sisi to leave Vienna because she basically can't be tamed and is too rebellious for the Austrian court. Her reputation is not the best after partying with Franz' brother Maximilian and she continues to struggle with etiquette.
Just as it seems like she'll leave for good, she drops an absolute bombshell in public: she's pregnant. That changes things, so we're probably in for a tumultuous second season. Can't wait!
How Historically Accurate Is The Empress On Netflix?
The show is obviously a little bit overdramatic. For example, Sisi didn't really burst out the gates to announce her first pregnancy to the public before telling Franz.
Her rebellious nature in general, though? Pretty accurate. The real Sisi struggled with etiquette too, and she was known for her beauty, free spirit and sense of fashion – the feminine urge for a slim waist? Goes back to Sisi. Kinda.
My favorite Sisi fact: she had an anchor tatooed on her shoulder.
Also, Franz and Sisi did have a very tumultuous marriage, so that one isn't made up for dramatic value, either.
If Netflix keeps the show at least somewhat historically accurate, we'll soon meet her first daughter: Sophie. Depending on how many episodes the second season gets and how far the plot of Sisi's very real life gets, viewers might need to get some tissues ready, too.