The popular Netflix historical drama, The Empress, will conclude in 2026. The series, which won an Emmy Award, tells the story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and her husband, Franz Joseph I. It first aired in September 2022 and quickly became a hit, leading to a second season in November 2024.
Netflix has announced that The Empress will conclude with its third season, which is planned to be released in 2026. While the show is ending, the specific release date for season 3 hasn’t been revealed yet.
Created by Katharina Eyssen, The Empress tells the story of 16-year-old Sisi, a Bavarian duchess who unexpectedly falls in love with Austria’s Emperor Franz Joseph—a man originally intended for her sister, Helene. After marrying and moving to Vienna, Sisi struggles to navigate the strict rules of the court and a scheming royal family.
Elisabeth struggles with her controlling mother-in-law and aunt, Archduchess Sophie, as Franz Joseph’s brother, Maximilian, tries to surpass him and demonstrate his own leadership skills. The series The Empress stars Devrim Lingnau, Philip Froissant, Melika Foroutan, Johannes Nussbaum, Elisa Schlott, Jördis Triebel, Almila Bagriacik, Svenja Jung, August Schmölzer, and a large ensemble cast.
Viewers and critics generally loved the first season of The Empress, giving it an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and an 85% audience score. While season 2 hasn’t received enough critic reviews to earn a score on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences overwhelmingly enjoyed it, giving it a 98% rating. In 2023, the show was also recognized with the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series.
In recent years, The Empress has become one of Netflix’s most popular series originally made outside of English-speaking countries. The first season was a global hit, ranking as the second most-watched show worldwide for two weeks and staying in the top 10 non-English series for five weeks. By the end of 2022, it had become the seventh most popular non-English show on Netflix, with viewers watching over 150 million hours of content. Later, the second season of The Empress reached the top 10 in Netflix charts in 84 countries.
Season 3 of The Empress will finish telling Elisabeth’s story, focusing on increased drama, political challenges, and her life beyond Vienna following the Sardinian War.
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2026-01-07 21:00