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Disney+’s adaptation of Rivals proved to be a scintillating smash-hit during its first season in late 2024, and now the series has been renewed for season 2. Based on Jilly Cooper’s eponymous 1988 novel, Rivals takes place in the fictional English county of Rutshire, where an old feud between two members of the upper class plays out at a burgeoning TV station. Drenched with sex and biting wit about the English class system, Rivals managed to deftly capture Jilly Cooper’s sharp assessment of the 1980s, both in its tone and in its stylistic execution.
With a cast led by notable names like David Tennant of Doctor Who, Rivals is something of a departure for Disney+. Unlike most of the streaming service’s original content, which relies heavily on recognizable intellectual property and franchises like Star Wars and Marvel Comics, Rivals is a fresh take that could indicate a new direction for the streamer. Though season 1 ended with Rupert and Tony in radically different predicaments, the sophomore season of Rivals is still going to live up to its name.
Rivals Season 2 Latest News
The Season 2 Filming Window Is Revealed
With the Disney+ original moving along swiftly, the latest news confirms when Rivals season 2 will begin filming. The update was provided by series star Victoria Smurfit, who was coy about the story but talkative when it came to the production schedule. After revealing that the show will begin rolling again in summer 2025, Smurfit expressed her hopes for her character, Maude, and what she might be up to in the sophomore outing.
Read Smurfit’s comments below:
“Even if I knew anything about the storyline, I think I’d be shot at dawn if I said anything. Everyone’s dying to know what happens to them all, so I’m going to assume we get some answers and more fun and games. I wonder if I’ll get to ride a donkey? I’ve done a camel … or maybe a giraffe? Let’s go up in height. So I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m very excited to put Maud’s wig back on and start causing some trouble.”
Rivals Season 2 Is Confirmed
Return To Rutshire County Soon
Though Rivals was something of a gamble for Disney+, which usually relies on recognizable intellectual property for its original series, the wager paid off in spades. As such, the multimedia juggernaut wasted no time in renewing the show less than two months after it dropped all 8 episodes in October 2024. Considering the big cliffhanger in the season 1 finale, it stands to reason that plans were always in place for more seasons, but the success of a TV show is impossible to guess in the streaming era.
Disney+ announced the season 2 renewal on their official X (formerly Twitter) account:
The announcement of season 2 wasn’t accompanied by many details, and it’s unclear exactly when Rivals will return to the small screen. However, with shooting set to begin in summer 2025, it’s a little easier to guess the sophomore season’s release timeline. It’s safe to say that Rivals won’t be coming back in 2025, but an early 2026 release isn’t entirely out of the question. Though it would be nice for the series to keep a yearly clip, modern TV production has made that nearly impossible.
All 8 episodes of Rivals season 1 premiered on October 18, 2024.
Rivals Season 2 Cast Details
Expect Most Of The Ensemble Cast To Return
Though some changes are possible, it’s expected that the bulk of the cast of Rivals will return to reprise their roles in season 2. Alex Hassell starred in season 1 as former athlete and current politician Rupert Campbell-Black, and his feud with David Tennant’s Lord Baddingham is the brutal driving force of the entire series. As such, Rivals season 2 will need to bring those two back for their over-the-top fight to continue. The other residents of Rutshire and beyond are also needed for spice as well, and the cast will likely swell in season 2 as more mayhem ensues.
Related
Rivals Review: A Maniacal David Tennant Leads Intense TV Production Drama That Needs More Rivalries
Rivals features some electrifying rivalries happening behind the scenes at a cutthroat television station, but it is overshadowed by personal drama.
The presumptive cast of Rivals season 2 includes:
|
Actor |
Rivals Role |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Alex Hassell |
Rupert Campbell-Black |
|
|
David Tennant |
Lord Baddingham |
|
|
Aiden Turner |
Declan O’Hara |
|
|
Victoria Smurfit |
Maud O’Hara |
|
|
Nafessa Williams |
Cameron Cook |
|
|
Bella Maclean |
Agatha “Taggie” O’Hara |
|
|
Katherine Parkinson |
Lizzie Vereker |
|
|
Oliver Chris |
James Vereker |
|
|
Danny Dyer |
Freddie Jones |
|
|
Lisa McGrillis |
Valerie Jones |
|
|
Emily Atack |
Sarah Stratton |
|
Rivals Season 2 Story Details
Did Tony Survive The Season 1 Finale?
There are a lot of threads to untangle in the Disney+ series, and though the season 1 finale offered some closure, it mostly left things unresolved. Though the fight between Corinium and Venturer is seemingly over, things are only just getting started in Rutshire County. Behind the scenes, Rupert’s kiss with Declan’s daughter (Taggie) will likely blossom into a big problem for the new business partners, and it could blow up all the other romantic entanglements that Rupert is currently cultivating.
Elsewhere, it’s not entirely certain that Tony is even alive after he took a massive whack to the skull from Cameron, and the sophomore season will either reveal how he lived or deal with the fallout of his death. Speaking of Cameron, she may have been able to pull the wool over Tony’s eyes and double cross him, but if he survives his head wound, he’ll likely be out for blood. Pregnancies, romantic flings, and explicit sexual liaisons also abound in the season’s final moments, meaning Rivals season 2 isn’t going to slow down the breakneck pace seen in season 1.
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