The champagne corks are popping in the Cotswolds as Disney+ officially greenlights RIVALS for a second season, with cameras already rolling as of May 2025. Jilly Cooper’s scandalous adaptation proved irresistible to viewers, transforming from a modest eight-episode debut into an expanded twelve-episode sophomore season that promises even more backstabbing, bedroom politics, and British upper-class debauchery.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the show’s breakout star. After years of bouncing between supporting roles in films like THE GENTLEMEN and television appearances that never quite captured the public imagination, this Cotswolds romp has become the career-defining moment that fans have been waiting for. The razor-sharp wit and aristocratic charm that made him a household name decades ago now feels perfectly calibrated for the ruthless world of 1980s British television, where power brokers circle like sharks in Savile Row suits.
Season one’s explosive finale left Lord Tony Baddingham’s fate hanging in the balance, while the simmering tension between Rupert Campbell Black and Taggie O’Hara reached a fever pitch that had viewers refreshing their Disney+ feeds for renewal news. The show’s success lies not just in its lavish period detail or the rolling hills of its countryside setting, but in how it captures the particular brand of cruelty that only the British elite can perfect, wrapped in enough sexual tension to steam up a Bentley’s windows.
The casting coup continues with Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett joining as Helen and Malise Gordon, adding fresh blood to an already intoxicating mix of ambition and betrayal. These aren’t mere additions to fill episode time; they’re strategic moves that promise to deepen the show’s exploration of how power corrupts and how the wealthy play games with other people’s lives as their favorite pastime.
What started as a nostalgic trip back to shoulder pads and excess has evolved into something more substantial, a meditation on class, privilege, and the particular way that British society packages its cruelties in good manners and better tailoring. The show understands that behind every perfectly manicured estate lies a web of secrets that could destroy reputations, marriages, and entire empires with a single well-placed whisper at the right dinner party.
With filming underway and an early 2026 release window taking shape, RIVALS has positioned itself as the prestige drama that doesn’t apologize for being entertaining, proving that sometimes the most revealing stories about power come wrapped in silk scarves and served with a perfectly chilled glass of champagne. The second season won’t just continue where the first left off; it will dig deeper into the moral quicksand that lies beneath every perfectly pruned hedge in this glittering world where everyone has something to hide.
🎬 From STAR WARS to THE OFFICE spin-off magic!
Domhnall Gleeson is absolutely crushing it as Ned Sampson in THE PAPER - proving he`s evolved from beloved supporting player to commanding leading man 🌟
Catch him chatting with Seth Meyers about the series - THE PAPER is streaming NOW on Peacock! 📺✨
🍀✨ From Belfast to Hogwarts!
IFTA winner Bríd Brennan is officially joining the HBO Harry Potter series as Madam Poppy Pomfrey!
The powerhouse actress brings decades of acclaimed work to the magical world - from her breakout in DANCING AT LUGHNASA to her recent Oscar-shortlisted performance in ROOM TAKEN.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🍾 THE COTSWOLDS ARE CALLING! 🍾
RIVALS Season 2 is OFFICIALLY happening and cameras are already rolling! After that jaw-dropping Season 1 finale, Disney+ couldn`t resist giving us more Aidan Turner.
Full updates at irishfilmtv.com.
🏰 From Sister Michael to puppet master!
BAFTA winner Siobhán McSweeney trades her nun`s habit for the ultimate game of deception at Slane Castle ✨
24 strangers. €50k prize. Hidden betrayers among the faithful. Let the psychological warfare begin! 🔥
Catch THE TRAITORS IRELAND on RTÉ One & RTÉ Player 📺
Paul Mescal is about to make Shakespeare absolutely swoon-worthy in HAMNET!
Fresh off his GLADIATOR II armor, our Irish king is diving deep into 1580s plague-era romance with Jessie Buckley as his muse.
Watch the new trailer via link in bio!
From 007 to retirement home detective, @piercebrosnanofficial has done it all!
In a new interview, The THURSDAY MURDER CLUB (now streaming on @netflix) star strolls through the north London streets where he once cut his teeth as a young actor.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 Domhnall Gleeson is back and he`s trading time travel for newspaper headlines!
The EX MACHINA and ABOUT TIME star leads THE PAPER, a new mockumentary series from THE OFFICE creators that drops ALL 10 episodes September 4th on Peacock!
Watch the new sneak peek at irishfilmtv.com.
* NEW TRAILER ALERT *
From Oscar nominee for THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN to scene-stealer in THE PENGUIN, Colin Farrel is now teaming up with visionary director Kogonada again for A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY alongside Margot Robbie.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 Jessie Buckley is about to break our hearts all over again in HAMNET 💔
From her Oscar-nominated turn in THE LOST DAUGHTER to the psychological depths of MEN, this Irish powerhouse keeps choosing roles that demand everything.
HAMNET hits theaters November 27th - mark your calendars! 🗓️
** NEW TRAILER ALERT **
After 8 years away from acting, Daniel Day-Lewis returns in ANEMONE.
Set in 1980s Yorkshire, this Brad Pitt-produced film explores the complex bonds between fathers, sons, and brothers.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎰 NEW TRAILER ALERT! Colin Farrell is on an absolute TEAR right now!
Fresh off his Golden Globe and SAG wins for THE PENGUIN, he`s diving into Edward Berger`s new film BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER - and the first trailer looks absolutely stunning.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🍺 From PEAKY BLINDERS to pints of pure drama!
Steven Knight is serving up Ireland`s most scandalous brewing dynasty in HOUSE OF GUINNESS, hitting Netflix Sept 25th ✨
Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn & Fionn O`Shea are about to show you what happens when you inherit black gold... and all the poison that comes with it 🖤
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 CHRISTY from @sleeper.films hits different.
This Cork story isn`t your typical social realism - it`s got heart, humor, and the kind of authentic brotherhood that`ll stay with you long after the credits roll.
Out in Ireland/Northern Ireland Aug 29, watch the trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
🎰 Colin Farrell`s career glow-up continues!
From Oscar-nominations to the unrecognizable Penguin in THE BATMAN, and now as an obsessive gambler in Edward Berger`s BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER.
Mark your calendars: @tiff_net premiere Sept 9, limited release Oct 15, Netflix Oct 29. 🔥
* NEW TRAILER ALERT *
Cillian Muprhy`s latest project STEVE premieres at Toronto Film Festival before hitting Netflix October 3rd.
Murphy plays a reform school headteacher fighting to save his institution while battling his own demons—because this man never takes the easy route.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
