The Great: everything we know about season two so far

Have you been enjoying the Channel 4 series?

Channel 4's The Greatwas a huge hit with viewers - but with just a ten-episode run - it was over far too soon! Fortunately, Catherine and Emperor Peter will be returning for a second season, but how much do we know about it so far? Find out all the details here...

MORE: Gillian Anderson joins cast for second season of historical drama The Great

Is The Great season two coming out?

The show will indeed be back for season two, huzzah! Speaking to the show's executive producer Marian Macgowan revealed that they have six seasons mapped out for the show. She said: "We believe there’s sufficient material to take us through until she is an old woman."

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The showrunner, Tony McNamara, added: "I mean we could tell it in four [seasons], we could probably tell it in three. I don’t really know. I think it’s also now I realise the characters are so great across the board – we have 12 great actors playing really great characters and that’s just good TV, so it does seem like there’s a lot to get out of them."

On Thursday 28 January, Elle Fanning took to Instagram to confirm the news with a cheeky 'mugshot' style photograph of her in costume which read: "Released in time to start Season 2"

Elle Fanning confirmed the show will be back for season two

Season two began filming in early 2021, and Elle shared a snap of herself with a baby bump, writing: "Cooking up something special for season 2 #TheGreat #firstlook."

Nicholas Hoult plays Emperor Peter

Will the cast of The Great change?

Although we're slightly in love with Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult's versions of Catherine and her husband, Emperor Peter, fans shouldn't expect to see the pair on the show forever, as, like with the series is likely to recast the stars as the characters grow older. However, it has been confirmed that the pair, along with fellow stars Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Sacha Dhawan and Charity Wakefield - who play Marial, Archie, Orlo and Georgina respectively - will return for season two.

Elle and Phoebe will return as Catherine and Marial

It was also recently confirmed that star Gillian Anderson would be joining the cast as Joanna, Catherine's mother. As per : "[Joanna] has heard rumours of her daughter's coup and come to Russia to see it for herself. Though the apple of Catherine's eye and a doting mother, it soon becomes clear Joanna has more sinister intentions to save her family's reputation."

What will The Great season two be about?

Warning, spoiler alert for the season one finale here! As the series concluded with Catherine issuing the order to continue with the coup, sacrificing her one love Leo in the process, season two will reveal whether her attempt succeeded or failed.

The series finale concluded with Catherine giving the order to begin the coup

In reality, Catherine didn't stage a coup until after the birth of her first child, Paul, and so since she only just discovered she was pregnant in the penultimate episode, it could well be that Emperor Peter has some time left in power before Catherine takes power.

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