Picture credits: Netflix
Some of Netflix’s biggest and most esteemed shows are period dramas, and the streamer will continue to invest heavily in the genre. In this post, we look ahead and take a look at every period drama coming to Netflix in 2026 (and beyond).
Netflix has a fierce reputation for period dramas, from its biggest hits, like Bridgerton and The Crown, to top-tier limited series like All the Light We Cannot See and The Queen’s Gambit. As we move further into 2026 and beyond, the streamer will continue to offer up big period titles, tackling some of the most significant stories from history. Which ones are worth keeping an eye on?
Of course, every title you see on this list is subject to change: filming can be delayed, release dates are prone to shifts, and so on. These titles are listed to the best of our current knowledge and are our highlights to keep it manageable. There are also titles like The Countess of Monte Cristo, Brazil ’70: The Third Star, The Granville Girls, and plenty more that, in many minds, should deserve a spot.
Alexander
Based on the best-selling novel The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon, Netflix is developing a historical drama series following two legendary figures from Ancient Greece: Alexander the Great and his tutor Aristotle. Alexander the Great needs little introduction. He’s the son of King Philip II of Macedon and Queen Olympias, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest military masterminds in history.
The upcoming series comes from acclaimed Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Jason Bateman. The series is still very early in development. You can check out all the details in our overview of the series here.
Assassin’s Creed
Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed adaptation is one of the most high-profile video game adaptations in development. Given the success of HBO’s The Last of Us and Prime Video’s Fallout, to feels like Assassin’s Creed is well placed to be another hit for video game adaptations. Created by showrunner Roberto Patino (Westward, Sons of Anarchy), the series takes viewers to Ancient Rome in around 64 AD.
The official longline reads: “Assassin’s Creed is a high-octane thriller centered on the secret war between two shadowy factions — one set on determining mankind’s future through control and manipulation, while the other fights to preserve free will. The series follows its characters across pivotal historical events as they battle to shape humanity’s destiny.”
Assassin’s Creed isn’t expected to land on Netflix until 2027.
Blue Eye Samurai (Season 2)
Netflix’s Emmy-winning period drama Blue Eye Samurai is one of the most celebrated animated projects on the streamer. The series is set during the 17th-century Edo period of Japan, a time when borders were closed to the outside world, and white men in Japan were practically non-existent. We follow Mizu, a mixed-race, half-Japanese master of the sword, on a bloody quest for revenge.
Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 is set to premiere in 2027. The new season sees Mizu head on a new adventure to Europe, specifically London.
Bridgerton (Season 5)
All things considered, Bridgerton is Netflix’s biggest and most celebrated period drama. Set during the Regency era, it’s not at all historically accurate. The story itself is pure fantasy, but it nevertheless captures the period’s charm and beauty through gorgeous sets and stunning costumes.
Bridgerton Season 5 began filming in March 2026, with the latest set images showing Claudis Jessie as Eloise. The upcoming season will chronicle the show’s first-ever queer romance between Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela (Masali Baduza).
East of Eden
An upcoming limited series from Zoe Kazan (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Big Sick), East of Eden adapts John Steinbeck’s seminal 1952 novel of the same name. The series is headlined by Florence Pugh (Thunderbolts, Little Women), who also serves as an executive producer. Also co-showrunning is Jeb Stuart, who’s best known for writing Die Hard and showrunning Netflix’s acclaimed drama Vikings: Valhalla.
Primarily set in California’s Salinas Valley, East of Eden serves as a contemporary retelling of the Biblical Cain and Abel story, told through the lens of the multi-generational Trask family. The series is depicted from the perspective of Pugh’s protagonist Cathy Ames.
The series has personal significance to Zoe Kazan, as her grandfather, Elia Kazan, previously directed the cult 1955 adaptation of East of Eden starring James Dean.
East of Eden is set to premiere on Netflix in 2026
Enola Holmes 3
Millie Bobby Brown returns as Sherlock Holmes’ rebellious and crafty younger sister Enola in Enola Holmes 3, coming to Netflix in Summer 2026.
After two movies set in 1880s England, the forthcoming threequel takes Enola to Malta with Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge). The sequel was worked on by two creatives behind Netflix’s smash-hit Adolescence: Philip Barantini (director) and Jack Throne (writer). It also sees the return of franchise favorites, including Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, Himesh Patel, and Sharon Duncan-Brewster.
Untitled ‘Peaky Blinders’ Sequel Series
Picture Credit: Netflix
So far in 2026, Netflix has released Peaky Blinders sequel movie The Immortal Man. Next up in the franchise is a 1950s-set sequel series, kicking off thenext chapter of the Shelby saga. There are currently two sequel series in the works. Fans are referring to the requisite sequel as Peaky 1954, although no title has officially been attached to the project yet. Filming began in March 2026 in Stoke-on-Trent.
The official synopsis reads: “The two new six-part hourlong sequels will follow on from the Peaky Blinders movie. Britain, 1953. After being heavily bombed in WWII, Birmingham is building a better future out of concrete and steel. In a new era of Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders, the race to own Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions. This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and danger: with the Shelby family right at its blood-soaked heart.”
We don’t expect to see ‘Peaky 1965’ arrive on Netflix until mid-to-late 2027. Watch this space.
Pride & Prejudice
Jane Austen’s classic Pride & Prejudice has already had plenty of successful adaptations, notably the 1990s BBC series starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, and later the 2005 movie starring Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. The next adaptation has been picked up by Netflix, with Emma Corrin (The Crown, Deadpool & Wolverine) as Elizabeth Bennett and Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) as Mr. Darcy. Other cast members include Olivia Colman, Rufus Sewell, Freya Mavor, Jamie Demetriou, Daryl McCormack, Rhea Norwood, Siena Kelly, and Louis Partridge.
The 6-part adaptation comes from author and screenwriter Dolly Alderton and director Euros Lyn (Heartstopper). Pride & Prejudice is confirmed to arrive on Netflix in 2026. While we wait, Pride & Prejudice (2005) is currently streaming on Netflix.
Tantara
Previously titled Show Business, Tantara is a period K-drama takes place in the aftermath of the Korean War, beginning in the 1960s and following South Korea’s rapidly growing entertainment industry through the 1980s. The series comes from director Lee Yoon Jung (Argon) and screenwriter Noh Hee Kyung (Our Blues). It stars Squid Game alum Gong Yoo, who played the Salesman in the survival series.
Tantara is set for a December 2026 release.
The Age of Innocence (Netflix)
Following the success of other recent classic novel adaptations, Netflix is tackling Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1920 masterpiece, The Age of Innocence. Set against the backdrop of 1870s high-society New York, this eight-part limited series will explore a passionate and heart-rending love triangle that tests the boundaries between personal freedom and rigid social duty. The story follows Newland Archer, a progressive young lawyer engaged to the proper, rule-following May Welland. However, the arrival of May’s unconventional cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska—who has fled a disastrous marriage to a Polish nobleman—sparks a forbidden desire in Newland.
Adapted and showrun by period drama veteran Emma Frost (The White Queen), the series promises a contemporary lens on the Gilded Age while remaining deeply true to Wharton’s original text. The international cast features Ben Radcliffe as the conflicted Newland Archer, Kristine Froseth as May Welland, and Camila Morrone as the free-spirited Countess Olenska, alongside Margo Martindale as the formidable family matriarch, Mrs. Manson-Mingott. With filming taking place in Prague’s historic center to recreate 19th-century New York, this lavish new take on the classic love story is poised to be a massive draw for period drama fans.
The Doll
Picture: Netflix
Based on the Polish novel by Bolesław Prus, The Doll is set against the backdrop of the Spring of Nations in mid-19th-century Poland and the Russo-Turkish War in Bulgaria. The story follows nouveau riche merchant, Stanisław Wokulski, and the challenges he faces occasioned by his obsessive passion for an aristocratic beauty, Izabela Łęcka.
Series lead Izabela is played by Sandra Drzymalska (Sexify), with co-star Stanisław Wokulski being played by Tomasz Schuchardt (Chrzciny).
The Doll is expected to premiere on Netflix in the second half of 2026. You can read our full rundown of the series here.
The Empress (Season 3)
The Empress Season 3. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
German historical drama The Empress is widely regarded as Netflix’s biggest hidden gems. Focusing on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Devrim Lingnau), and her unlikely marriage to Emperor Franz (Philip Froissant), the series explores her life, trials and tribulations as she sits within the Viennese court. After two seasons, The Empress sits at a very solid 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, placing it among Netflix’s highest-rated period dramas.
The 6-episode third season will wrap the saga. It began filming in late 2025 and will debut on Netflix later this year.
The Von Fersens
Announced in September, The Von Fersens is a new romantic drama film set against the backdrop of 18th-century Stockholm, Sweden. It follows the glamorous and tumultuous lives of historical figures Sophie and Axel von Fersen — Alva Bratt (Barracuda Queens, The Dance Club) and Christian Fandango (A Nearly Normal Family) — who become the ultimate it-duo of their time. However, when their status is stripped away, they fight to protect their family’s future.
The film has cast a few big names, casting Alexander Abdallah (Snabba Cash) as King Gustav III. Other cast members include August Wittgenstein (The Crown), Alex Jubell (Knutby), Sara Shirpey (State of Happiness), and Jonas Karlsson (The Snowman).
Netflix has not yet set a release date for The Von Fersens. We expect to see it hit the steamer sometime in 2026.
KENNEDY
The Kennedy family is the closest that the United States of America has had to a royal family. Much like The Crown, which documented the life of Queen Elizabeth II, Netflix’s new period drama KENNEDY will focus on the Kennedy family’s lives, careers, and tragedies. The series is created by Sam Shaw (Manhattan, Castle Rock, Masters of Sex), and headlined by Michael Fassbender (Joe Sr. Kennedy), Laura Donnelly (Rose Kennedy), and Nick Robinson (Joe Kennedy Jr.).
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by historian Fredrik Logevall, the series documents the first 39 years of JFK’s life. It chronicles his rise, relationships, and experiences during the Second World War.
Filming on KENNEDY began in April 2026, taking place in the UK.
Last Samurai Standing (Season 2)
One of Netflix’s most underrated gems of 2025 was Last Samurai Standing. The series was a huge success, debuting as a top 10 hit in 88 countries.
Last Samurai Standing takes place in 1878 Japan during the early Meiji period, a time where the Samurai were rapidly losing their power and status. In a bid to cull the Samurai population, 292 Samurai warriors are pitted against each other in a battle-royale style fight to the death. The winner takes home a massive 100-billion yen prize.
Last Samurai Standing took everything great about existing ‘battle royale’ media like Squid Game and The Hunger Games, and depicted it in a brutal, action-packed period drama. The series was officially renewed for Season 2 on December 19, 2025. It’s unlikely that we’ll see the new season air in 2026. Sometime in 2027 feels like a more sensible estimate.
Little House on the Prairie
Coming to Netflix: July 2026
Coming to Netflix on July 9, 2026, Little House on the Prairie adapts Laura Ingalls Wilder’s seminal novels, focusing on the harsh realities of the Ingalls family during frontier life, as the live and work on a farm in Midwestern America during the late 19th century.
The series has seen adaptation before, but the latest one comes from creator by Rebecca Sonnenshine (Lessons in Chemistry), and stars Alice Halsey as Laura, Luke Bracey as Charles, and Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline.
The series is expected to be a big hit, with it already being renewed for Season 2 — a rare feat for a Netflix show.
Which upcoming Netflix period drama are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments down below!
