Disney+ and Hulu dropped the first four episodes of the Korean fantasy romance on Tuesday, Nov. 3, a full day ahead of schedule. Here’s the cast, the plot and when new episodes arrive.
If you had Wednesday circled on the calendar for The Remarried Empress, you can go ahead and cross that out. The first four episodes of the Korean fantasy romance hit Disney+ and Hulu on Tuesday, Nov. 3, one day earlier than the Nov. 4 premiere date Disney had been promoting for months.
The surprise came at the show’s press conference in Seoul on Tuesday morning, Korea time. Host Park Kyung-rim told the room the release had moved up, according to Soompi, and a short teaser went out that same day to make it official. In that clip, Prince Heinrey turns into a bird and flies a note to Empress Navier, and the note carries the new date.
The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline both confirmed the move on Monday night. In the U.S., the series streams on Hulu and on Disney+ for subscribers who get Hulu content there. Everywhere else it’s a Disney+ release.
When do new episodes of The Remarried Empress come out?
The season runs 10 episodes. Episodes 1 through 4 are out now, and two new episodes arrive every Wednesday after that, per THR and Soompi. Under the original plan, that schedule wrapped on Wednesday, Nov. 25, which puts the finale right before Thanksgiving.
Disney hasn’t said whether the later drops will shift, so for now, plan on Wednesdays. Here’s the official trailer from Disney+ UK:
What is The Remarried Empress about?
The story follows Navier, the empress of the Eastern Empire, who’s in a cold marriage with Emperor Sovieshu. Then Sovieshu falls for Rashta, a runaway slave he brings into the palace, and things go downhill fast.
Navier doesn’t cry in a tower about it. She agrees to the divorce on one condition: she gets to remarry Heinrey, the crown prince of the Western Kingdom. From there, it’s a story about a woman taking her power back, with a love triangle (or square, really) wrapped around it, according to Laughing Place’s rundown of the series.
Who is in the cast of The Remarried Empress?
The four leads are big names in Korean TV:
Shin Min-a as Empress Navier
Ju Ji-hoon as Emperor Sovieshu
Lee Jong-suk as Crown Prince Heinrey
Lee Se-young as Rashta
Choi Dae-hoon plays McKenna, Heinrey’s secretary, who spends the new teaser trying to stop his boss from flying off as a bird. Jo Soo-won directed, according to Soompi; Laughing Place romanizes the name as Cho Su-won. Yeo Ji-na and Hyun Chung-yeol wrote the adaptation.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Jo said he was nervous and excited, and that the warm reaction at the Busan International Film Festival raised his own hopes for the show, Soompi reported. Lee Se-young said she was curious how viewers would react, since they’d be watching a day sooner than expected.
Is The Remarried Empress based on a webtoon?
Yes, and that’s a big reason this premiere is such a deal. The series adapts a web novel that started in 2018 and became a Naver Webtoon in 2019. Variety reports the webtoon has drawn nearly 3 billion views in 10 languages since it launched.
That fan base already knows every twist, which is a lot of pressure for a live-action version. The story has also spun off a mobile game, an audio drama and a paperback collection, per Laughing Place.
Did The Remarried Empress premiere at a film festival?
It did. The series had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in October, where early episodes screened for festival crowds, according to Laughing Place. That’s the reaction the director brought up on Tuesday.
The hype started even earlier. The Korea Times reported in September that the teaser was already past 10 million views, and Sports Kyunghyang said the trailer topped 13 million later that month.
Where can I watch The Remarried Empress in the US?
In the U.S., look for it on Hulu, and through the Hulu tile on Disney+ if you have the bundle. The show is a Hulu Original here, so you won’t need a separate subscription if you already pay for the Disney+ and Hulu bundle.
Four episodes is a solid first night, too. If you start after dinner, you’re done before midnight, and then you get to wait a whole week like it’s 1998.
So grab a snack, find the remote and get ready to yell at Sovieshu. Everyone else is going to.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
The Hollywood Reporter (Nov. 2, 2026), the early release and weekly schedule
Deadline (Nov. 2, 2026), the new Nov. 3 date
Soompi (Nov. 3, 2026), the press conference and teaser
Variety (Nov. 3, 2026), webtoon view count
Laughing Place (Sept. 16, 2026), cast, crew, plot and episode count
Disney Plus UK, official trailer
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.