The ladies of Litchfield are returning to our screens for a seventh and final season of Orange Is the New Black on Netflix.

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But what’s in store for Piper and the gang? When do the new episodes hit the streaming service and who’s in the cast?

Here’s everything you need to know right now...

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When is Orange Is the New Black season 7 out on Netflix?

The final season will be released on Friday 26th July 2019. The release date was announced via Netflix's See What's Next Twitter account, alongside a load of new photos from the season, which sees Piper out in the real world for the first time.

Creator Jenji Kohan shared a photo of the entire cast and crew on 26th February 2019 marking the end of filming, along with a message declaring, 'That's a wrap'.

Other cast members too have shared their reactions to the series ending, including OITNB and Russian Doll star Natasha Lyonne.

"On the last shot, a guttural sound came out of me, like some wounded animal," she wrote.

Kate Mulgrew meanwhile posted a Valentine's-inspired message on her last day of filming on 14th February.

"Today is my last day filming OITNB," she wrote. "As Red bids goodbye to seven extraordinary years, Janeway lifts a glass and both blow kisses. Happy Valentine’s Day to all the captains and cooks who make life sizzzle."

And if all that hasn't moved you to tears, take a look at this moving featurette showing the cast and crew say goodbye to OITNB:

Is there a trailer for OITNB season 7?

Yes! It gives us our first look at Piper in the real world - check it out below.

What happened at the end of Orange Is the New Black series 6? Will Piper Chapman be back?

Laura Gómez as Blanca
Laura Gómez as Blanca

Orange Is the New Black's sixth season served up a devastating finale.

Not only was Blanca unwittingly carted off to an immigration detention centre, but Taystee went down for a murder she didn’t commit while Piper was granted an early release as the show made a statement about racial imbalance in America.

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Season seven will follow Piper's path after prison as she navigates the outside world – while less fortunate inmates remain behind bars.

And in case you need a reminder, here's the cast of OITNB recapping their characters' journeys in 30 seconds...

And a handy five-minute recap video they've created ahead of season 7:

Who’s in the cast of Orange Is the New Black series 7?

Danielle Brooks as Taystee
Danielle Brooks as Taystee

Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon are expected to return as Piper and Alex, after their series six prison wedding, with Schilling confident their union will survive their separation. "I think that's the love of her life," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

Uzo Aduba’s Crazy Eyes, Danielle Brooks’ Taystee, Laura Gomez's Blanca, Adrienne C Moore’s Black Cindy, Natasha Lyonne’s Nicky, Dale Soules’ Frieda, Kate Mulgrew’s Red and Dascha Polanco’s Daya are all also likely to reprise their roles.

They will be joined by other new faces from season six including Amanda Fuller’s Madison and Vicci Martinez’s Daddy.

As for Maritza, Soso and Chang, who were all missing from the sixth season?

"If the story takes us there, it has to be organic for us," explained producer Tara Herrmann to THR. "We never want to suddenly be in a world that we haven't set up. But we love those characters and miss them as storytellers for sure, so we hope to always see them."

What happens in Orange is the New Black season 7?

This is a spoiler-free page so we're not going to go into details of the plot for season 7 here, but if you want to find out where all of the key characters ended up, click here for our recap.

What is the Poussey Washington Fund?

The closing moments of the series reveal details of the Poussey Washington Fund – a real-life crowdsourcing campaign set up by Netflix and the OITNB creators.

The initiative is raising money for eight different pre-existing non-profit groups with the funds raised split equally between them. See here for more details and how to donate.

Will series 7 of Orange Is the New Black be the last? Are there plans for a spin-off or sequel?

Adrienne C as Black Cindy and Danielle Brooks as Taystee
Adrienne C as Black Cindy and Danielle Brooks as Taystee

Yes, it will. But less than a month after the announcement that the series had been cancelled, there was already talk of a sequel.

"We're really proud of the long run that Orange Is the New Black had," said Lionsgate TV Group chairman Kevin Beggs. "It remains one of Netflix's most-watched shows. We're ending on a high note.

“Keep in mind we own that series and will be distributing it for years to come. We're already in discussions and, when the timing is right, we'll talk further with [writer] Jenji [Kohan] about a potential sequel."

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