THE EMPRESS – Date Announcement of the final and third season

THE EMPRESS

End of an Era

The epic finale of The Empress will launch on November 12 on Netflix

Showrunner: Katharina Eyssen Executive Producers: Robert Eyssen, Jochen Laube, Fabian Maubach, Katharina Eyssen und Scarlett Lacey Co-Executive Producer: Lars Gmehling Writers: Katharina Eyssen (Head-Writer), Elena von Saucken Directors: Florian Cossen, Julia Langhof Director of Photography: Katharina Bühler, Rik Zang Costume: Gabriela Reumer Hair & MakeUp: Jens Bartram Production Design: Theresia Anna Ficus Associate Producer: Michal Pokorny Production Company: Sommerhaus Serien GmbH Service Production: MIA Film Cast: Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu, Philip Froissant, Melika Foroutan, Johannes Nussbaum, Josephine Thiesen, Runa Greiner, Dejan Bućin, Marlene Burow, Christophe Favre, Merlin Sandmeyer u.a.

The Empress Season 3, premiering November 12, exclusively on Netflix worldwide

Berlin, September 24, 2026 - The imperial marriage is on thin ice. Franz returns from the war against Napoleon a scarred man, while Elisabeth suffers greatly in health under the tension at court and rejection by her husband. When Franz takes refuge in an affair, not only their marriage but also Elisabeth's life is at stake.

On her first major journey far away, Elisabeth suddenly makes an acquaintance that will forever change her life, and also the fate of Habsburg. On November 12 , the third and final season of the award-winning series The Empress launches on Netflix.

Set against opulent backdrops between Vienna, Hungary, Mexico, and Prussia, the series The Empress paints a complex portrait of the protagonists at court. At the center is Elisabeth's impressive journey: she transforms from an unconventional girl into an emancipated woman who permanently influences the fate of Europe. The series about the extraordinary Empress Elisabeth has thrilled fans all over the world since its release and was awarded " Best Drama Series " at the 51st International Emmy® Awards in 2023.

Katharina Eyssen once again serves as showrunner for the third season of the hit series, sharing creative responsibility with executive producer Robert Eyssen . Sommerhaus Serien GmbH , led by executive producers Jochen Laube and Fabian Maubach , is responsible for the production. Scarlett Lacey returns as executive producer, and Lars Gmehling is co-executive producer. Directed by Florian Cossen and Julia Langhof . Filming took place in Bavaria, the Czech Republic, and Spain.

About The Empress Season 3

After the devastating Sardinian War, Emperor Franz (Philip Froissant) returns a traumatized man. The guilt of having lost thousands of young men on the battlefield weighs heavily on him. Elisabeth (Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu) tries to stand by him - she fights passionately for her marriage while at the same time advocating for what would now be right for the empire - yet in vain. While Franz's infidelity further shakes the marriage, resistance at court and her own health force Elisabeth to leave Vienna and set off to a distant island to recover.

By chance, the Empress meets the leader of the Hungarian revolution, Count Andrássy (Dejan Bućin), on her journey. Their encounter is immediately marked by strong intellectual and physical attraction. Almost simultaneously, Franz's brother Maximilian (Johannes Nussbaum) sets off on a great adventure with his wife Marie (Josephine Thiesen): he is to ascend the imperial throne in far-off Mexico. In the end, Elisabeth must decide: follow her heart unconditionally, or be a sincere empress to her people.

Recap: Looking back at Seasons 1 & 2

Season 1: The Storming of the Hofburg. After the romantic wedding of free-spirited Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph, life at court quickly becomes a golden cage for Elisabeth: caught between strict court protocol and pressure from her mother-in-law Sophie, Elisabeth fights for her self-determination. When unrest breaks out among the people, the pregnant empress bravely confronts the angry crowd and wins their hearts.

Season 2: Power Struggles and the Fires of War. The pressure for a male heir, impending wars, and the painful loss of their child put the young marriage to a severe test. As the political situation continues to escalate, Elisabeth learns to use her political voice.

About Netflix

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About Sommerhaus Filmproduktion

Jochen Laube and Fabian Maubach have jointly managed Sommerhaus Filmproduktion since 2015. Projects realized to date include feature films such as In the Aisles (Berlinale Competition 2018) and What Doesn't Kill Us (world premiere at Piazza Grande in Locarno 2018), as well as TV productions like Dominik Graf's Tatort: Der rote Schatten and Katharina Eyssen's Netflix miniseries Holiday Secrets . The novel adaptation When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit delighted over one million moviegoers and was awarded the Bavarian Film Award as well as the German Film Award for Best Children's Film.

The adaptation of Alfred Döblin's world-famous novel Berlin Alexanderplatz celebrated its world premiere in the competition of the Berlinale 2020 and received five Lolas at the German Film Awards as well as a European Excellence Award for film music.

The first season of the historical series The Empress by showrunner Katharina Eyssen, directed by Katrin Gebbe and Florian Cossen, was awarded the International Emmy® Award for Best Drama Series in 2023. Shortly before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the international TV series Clean Sweep about mafia machinations behind football premiered under the direction of Rick Ostermann. In early December 2022, the new collaboration with Thomas Stuber, Dark Satellites , was released in theaters. Burhan Qurbani's latest feature film No Beast. So Fierce. , a German-Polish-French co-production, celebrated its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2025. The new edition of the Frankfurt Tatort starring Edin Hasanovic and Melika Foroutan, broadcast for the first time on ARD in the same year, met with great acclaim from audiences and press alike and was awarded the Grimme Prize, among others.

In addition to the third season of The Empress , further episodes of the Frankfurt Tatort as well as Maggie Peren's feature film The Bright Days are currently in post-production.

Sommerhaus Filmproduktion maintains offices in Berlin, Ludwigsburg, and Munich.