Will There Be a Season 2 of ‘The Royals’?

The 2025 Netflix romantic comedy The Royals has already secured a second season, and the renewal came just weeks after its May 9 debut. American viewers searching for updates now have a clear answer, though some may still confuse this new Indian series with the earlier E! soap that ended in 2018. The fresh take mixes palace intrigue with startup ambition and has drawn enough interest to keep the story moving forward.

Renewal timing and confirmation

Netflix greenlit Season 2 on May 28, 2025, shortly after the first batch of episodes landed on the platform. The quick decision reflects the streamer’s push to lock in Indian originals that travel beyond domestic markets. Official statements from Netflix Tudum and trade reports confirmed that the leads would return.

Pre-production has already started, with filming slated to begin around July 2026. That schedule points to a mid-to-late 2026 premiere window, giving the writers room to refine the tone after mixed early reviews. The eight-episode structure of Season 1 is expected to carry over.

Cast members Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter are set to reprise their roles as tech CEO Sophia and Prince Aviraaj. Supporting players Sakshi Tanwar and Zeenat Aman will also return, preserving the blend of established names and newer talent that helped launch the series.

Story setup for the next chapter

Season 1 left the royal family’s finances still shaky and the budding romance between Sophia and Aviraaj unresolved. Writers have signaled that Season 2 will test both relationships under greater public scrutiny once the palace rescue plan becomes national news. The tension between old titles and new money looks set to widen.

Creators Rangita Pritish Nandy and Ishita Pritish Nandy have hinted at expanding the supporting cast to include more political figures and rival entrepreneurs. That move could shift the tone from intimate palace drama toward broader cultural collision. Early script notes suggest sharper focus on how media cycles affect private decisions inside the family.

Directors Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana are expected to helm multiple episodes again, which should keep visual style and pacing consistent. Their experience with contemporary Indian settings may help ground the lighter comic beats while the stakes rise.

Reception and audience debate

Critics gave Season 1 a 36 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, citing uneven pacing and familiar romantic beats. Audience scores landed higher, driven by viewers drawn to the chemistry between the leads and the novelty of an Indian royal romance. Online forums show split camps: some praise the cultural specificity, while others call the palace intrigue thin.

Social chatter picked up after the renewal notice, with fans posting side-by-side clips comparing the new series to the older E! version now streaming on Netflix US. The comparison sparked fresh curiosity rather than confusion, as most viewers quickly noted the separate casts and settings. The timing of the E! show’s June 2025 addition helped keep The Royals in trending searches.

Netflix India has used the series in promotional reels pairing it with other renewed titles, a move that signals internal confidence. That visibility matters for U.S. viewers who sample Indian content during awards season or when scouting upcoming global releases.

Streaming access in the U.S.

Season 1 is already available on Netflix for American subscribers, removing the usual delay that can blunt international buzz. The platform’s algorithm has paired it with both prestige dramas and lighter romantic fare, widening its reach. Early viewing data suggests solid completion rates in the first two weeks.

The older E! series, added to Netflix US on June 26, 2025, briefly cracked the top 10 before sliding. Its four-season run remains capped, and Lionsgate’s earlier attempts to shop a fifth season never materialized. The overlap in titles has prompted some clarification posts from entertainment accounts.

Both shows sit under the same search term, so Netflix has surfaced disclaimers on the title page. That small fix helps keep casual browsers from mixing up renewal news for the 2025 version with the long-finished E! run.

Production scale and budget outlook

Season 1 benefited from location access to several historic Indian properties, a factor producers are negotiating to repeat. Larger set builds for the palace interiors may increase costs, yet Netflix appears willing to absorb them after the renewal. The streamer’s India slate continues to expand, and The Royals fits the current emphasis on hybrid genre stories.

Tax incentives in Maharashtra and Rajasthan are again under discussion for Season 2, the same regions that supported the first shoot. Securing those breaks would help offset rising talent fees once the leads renegotiate. Early budget memos reportedly keep the episode count at eight, avoiding the scope creep that can delay post-production.

International sales teams are already packaging the series for linear broadcasters in Europe and Southeast Asia. Those deals often hinge on confirmed renewals, so the May 28 announcement cleared a path for additional revenue streams that could indirectly support higher Season 2 spend.

Creative risks and possible shifts

Feedback on Season 1 highlighted moments where the romantic subplot overshadowed the business stakes. Writers have acknowledged the note and plan to tighten the connection between palace finances and Sophia’s startup maneuvers. That adjustment could give the second season a clearer throughline.

Some viewers wanted more screen time for the queen mother, played by Sakshi Tanwar. Season 2 scripts reportedly elevate that role, turning her into a strategic counterweight to the younger leads. The move mirrors how other prestige soaps have used elder figures to anchor shifting power dynamics.

Soundtrack choices will likely lean further into indie Indian artists rather than licensed Western tracks. Early test screenings showed that local music cues improved engagement in non-English markets, an important metric for Netflix’s global metrics team.

Comparison with the earlier E! series

The 2015–2018 E! drama followed a fictional British royal family and ran for four seasons before cancellation in August 2018. Creator Mark Schwahn departed amid allegations, and subsequent revival talks never gained traction. Its recent Netflix US placement has prompted nostalgia clips, yet no new episodes are planned.

Both shows share surface similarities in title and premise, but the 2025 version updates the formula with Indian settings and a tech-world angle. The contrast has become a talking point on social platforms, where users tag side-by-side images to highlight differences in tone and cultural detail.

U.S. viewers rediscovering the E! series may notice how its soapy plotting differs from the newer show’s lighter comic rhythms. That distinction matters for anyone weighing whether to start the 2025 season while waiting for its continuation.

Market context for Indian Netflix titles

Netflix has renewed several Indian romantic comedies this year, betting that hybrid genre stories can cross borders more easily than pure drama. The Royals sits alongside titles that blend family legacy plots with career arcs, a lane the platform sees as underserved. Renewal decisions now arrive faster, often within the first month of release.

Global completion rates for Indian English-language originals have climbed since 2023, according to internal metrics shared at industry events. The Royals performed above the recent average in the U.S. and UK, two markets Netflix tracks closely for expansion potential. Those numbers supported the quick Season 2 order.

Competition from Amazon and Disney+ Hotstar remains strong, yet co-production deals and shared licensing have eased some cost pressures. The Royals benefits from fully owned Netflix rights, giving the streamer flexibility to accelerate or slow future seasons without external partner constraints.

Cultural conversation and fan engagement

Bookstagram accounts have paired the series with older romance novels set in modern monarchies, creating a micro-trend that extends shelf life. Cosplay of the lead couple’s opening scene outfits appeared at several fan conventions this summer. Those grassroots efforts keep the property visible between seasons.

Podcasts focused on Indian streaming have devoted episodes to debating whether the show glamorizes wealth or gently critiques it. The discussion has spilled into mainstream tech podcasts that cover startup culture, widening the audience beyond traditional drama viewers. Such crossover coverage often predicts stronger second-season sampling.

Merchandise tie-ins remain minimal so far, limited to a capsule apparel line sold through an Indian e-commerce partner. Producers have floated the idea of a companion podcast recapping episodes with cast interviews, modeled on recent Netflix true-crime tie-ins. Details are still under wraps.

What happens next

With pre-production underway and the cast locked, The Royals is positioned to return in roughly twelve months. Viewers can revisit Season 1 on Netflix now, while the E! series offers a separate, completed archive for anyone drawn in by the shared name. The renewal confirms that this particular royal storyline has more chapters ahead.