Emily in Paris season 2: Release date, cast, trailer and latest news

Netflix has now released some gorgeous first-look pictures and an amusing and emotional trailer that shows off what antics Emily will be up to this time around.

One of the first-look snaps shows off new arrival Alfie, who is played by former Waterloo Road star Lucien Laviscount,.

Little details are known about Alfie at this stage but as he shares a laugh with Emily by the River Seine, we can't help but wonder if romance is indeed in the air.

The first season followed Chicago-based publicist Emily throughout her big move to Paris to as she took a job at social media firm Savoir.

Despite coming into contact with some rather icy colleagues (played by Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Samuel Arnold and William Abadie), she made a new friend in Mindy (Ashley Park) and met her attractive neighbour, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo).

While some viewers found Emily's persona rather grating, this criticism was recently addressed by Lily Collins herself, who told Nylon that she thought Emily's "annoying" qualities were "beautiful".

She added: "To have someone be optimistic, bright, and bubbly — it’s sad to think that people would look and go, ‘That’s a lot.’"

Collins also addressed the diversity criticism that was aimed at the first series, telling Vogue Arabia: "Hearing people's thoughts, concerns, questions, likes, dislikes, just feelings about it, there were certain things that spoke to the time that we're living in and what's right, and moral and correct and should be done.

"[That was] something that I felt passionate about," she added. "[The producers] all believed in the same things. And I really wanted diversity and inclusion in front of and behind the camera to be something that we really put our focus on, in a lot of ways."

Read on for everything you need to know about Emily in Paris season two and when it's arriving on Netflix.

Emily in Paris season 2 release date

Emily in Paris season 2 will arrive on Netflix on December 22, 2021.

The perfect gift for the festive season!

The news was revealed at Netflix's TUDUM event which saw a host of releases announced.

Production on the series wrapped earlier this year in Paris, Saint-Tropez and other locations in the South of France.

In May, the cast announced that production on the series' second run had begun, with Lily Collins saying: "We're back!"

In a press release marking the season's production start, Collins said: "As an actor, an artist, and a creative, the most meaningful gift is to connect with people through your art in some way.

"It's an honour to be associated with a project that provided people with some much-needed relief during a trying time when everyone was looking for a reason to smile and laugh," she added. "Not only did playing Emily teach me more about myself, but also about the world around me. I couldn't be happier to be back in Paris for Season 2 to expand upon those lessons, to continue to grow, and learn even more about this beautiful city and all of its character with Emily"

Emily in Paris season 2 trailer

An official trailer for Emily in Paris season 2 has now been released, which gives us a hint of what to expect from the new episodes.

There is passion, there are gorgeous Parisian sights, and, of course, some stylish fashion choices.

Emily is seen getting emotional amid all of the new turmoil before enjoying a glamorous trip to the South of France.

Where was our invite?

Emily in Paris season 2 cast

There's no Emily in Paris without Lily Collins, of course, so we'll see the actress reprise the titular role, alongside Ashley Park (Mindy), Lucas Bravo (Gabriel) and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Emily's glamorous yet scary French boss Sylvie).

You can also count on Camille Razat, who plays Emily's friend and Gabriel's girlfriend Camille, returning for season two considering the amount of drama that's likely been caused by Emily and Gabriel getting together in the season finale.

We have a feeling that Emily's love life will also be turned upside down by the arrival of a bad-boy Brit played by Lucien Laviscount (Coronation Street, Waterloo Road) - though she dislikes him to start, it's said that our girl Emily will eventually see the charm in his dry, sarcastic wit.

Jeremy O. Harris has also joined the cast as an iconic fashion designer, while Arnaud Binard will guest star as the party boy owner of a hot Saint-Tropez nightclub.

Also joining the cast of season two is Lucien Laviscount, who plays Alfie on the show. While we don't know much about the character, first-look pictures show him chatting with Emily on the Paris riverfront – could he be a new love interest for Emily?

Emily in Paris season 2 renewal

Netflix renewed Emily in Paris for a second season back in November, announcing the news with a video of the cast saying the word "deux" to camera.

While the show received mixed reviews from critics, the romantic comedy shot to the top of Netflix's streaming ranking in October 2020, makes its renewal pas de surprise.

At the end of last year, Emily in Paris star Lily Collins told Harper's Bazaar that she was keen to revisit Emily, saying: "I'm so proud of the way that it's kind of globally reached every country, and that's thanks to Netflix, really pushing it out there and believing in it. And then to be number one in the world still, it is mind-blowing."

Darren Star also teased a second season of Emily in Paris, telling E! News on 19th October: "I don't know about season two yet, but I think Emily has some surprising tough choices."

He added: "Nothing is sort of exactly as it seems to [Emily], and I think a lot of her ideas about life are constantly tested. And they will be next season, as well."

What was the controversy around season 1?

Since arriving on Netflix, Emily in Paris has received flak from French viewers, who've panned the show for perpetuating stereotypes about Parisians and French people and for Lily Collins' unlikely, and at times ignorant, character Emily.

French radio station RTL wrote about the show on its website, saying: "Between the beret, the cocktail dresses and the impeccable streets, Parisians had a hard time recognising their everyday life", while French magazine Les Inrockuptibles wrote that the show "did not fail to make Parisians laugh".

As for the episode in which Emily's client, a perfume company, shoots an advert featuring a naked model walking across the Alexandre III bridge, and tells Emily that the concept is "sexy" and not "sexist", various French people objected to this storyline, with Florence Coupry, an executive in a French strategic communications firm, telling The New York Times: "This has nothing to do with being French. A campaign like this would backfire."

She added: "This is a series about extreme clichés, cliché after cliché. Whoever made this is clearly having fun with the clichés. As viewers, we're being played with here."

In an interview with Cosmopolitan, the show's French star Lucas Bravo agreed with the criticism, saying: "We're portraying clichés and we're portraying one single vision of Paris. Paris is one of the most diverse cities in the world."

In September 2021, creator Darren Star addressed the controversy, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "Honestly, I was surprised that people would ever be offended by anything in the show. It’s a lighthearted romantic comedy.

"I kept thinking, 'Nobody can really be that thin-skinned' — we’re poking fun at a cliché, but they’re clichés that everyone has experienced at one time or another, both from the American point of view and the French point of view. That’s what it’s about. If it were about a character who came to France and spoke perfect French and knew her place in a French company and behaved according to all the cultural dictates, there wouldn’t be a show."

Earlier this month, Lily Collins defended Emily's "annoying" qualities, telling Nylon that she thinks they're "beautiful".

"A lot of the qualities that Emily has, if you put them on paper, would seem so annoying," she said. "To have someone be optimistic, bright and bubbly – it's sad to think that people would look and go, 'That's a lot.'

"They’re such beautiful qualities and the fact that she (Emily) can partner that with being vulnerable and asking for help and making mistakes — she’s not infallible."

What will happen in Emily in Paris season 2?

**WARNING – SPOILERS FOR SEASON ONE**

Recently, Emily in Paris creator Darren Star revealed that season two will see Emily assimilate the French culture a bit more, with the producer telling Variety that in series one, she was overwhelmed by the city's beauty. "I think, perhaps a ot of viewers who lived in Paris for a long time didn’t quite understand that this was through the lens of a character who was experiencing the city for the first time. That’s how she was perceiving it — she was really struck by the beauty that was all around her."

He added that "Emily will embrace the city a little bit more", adding: "When she got there, she got a bit of a free pass in the beginning and I don’t think it will be quite as easy for her in second season. I think she will be more assimilated, in terms of living in Paris and stepping up to the challenges of learning the language."

As for Emily's love life, Emily in Paris' first outing left viewers with a satisfying yet messy ending. After 10 episodes of unbearable sexual tension, stolen kisses and the typical problems that come with a love triangle, Emily (Lily Collins) and her neighbour Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) got intimate with one another, with Emily under the impression that Gabriel is about to leave for Normandy to open his own restaurant.

However, in the show's very last scene, we watch as Emily's client Antoine (William Abadie) offers Gabriel financial funding, which will allow him to buy a restaurant in Paris and means that he'll be sticking around for the long-term.

Season two will undoubtedly explore the fallout of Emily and Gabriel getting together, especially since Gabriel's girlfriend and Emily's friend Camille (Camille Razat) won't be best pleased with the pair's antics. Will Emily and Gabriel make a go of it or will Emily prioritise her friendship with Camille?

However, according to Bravo, Emily and Camille's relationship may head in a completely different direction, which the first series "planted a few seeds" about.

He told Cosmopolitan, "Like, Camille, when she kisses Emily on the mouth, and she's like, 'I'm not sorry.' And then when they're in bed, and I'm liking the picture, it's all little seeds. Anything could happen between the three of them. I think Darren wants this second season to be really open-minded."

While in an interview with Vogue UK, Collins predicted that the next season will "create more love triangle drama", adding: "There are tons of little moments where you're like, '...Does Camille like Emily?' You can't really get a vibe, and I feel like that ambiguity is what keeps Emily intrigued."

"I think anyone in that position would be like, you're my friend, but now I have this romantic connection [with Gabriel], and I don't want to hurt you, but… Oh my God! So, you know what, it's really confusing," she said.

Speaking to Deadline in February 2021, Collins said that while she's not sure what will happen in season two, she thinks "it would be a little early" for Emily to "lock something in" with Gabriel.

"I think she’s still exploring the prospects. Honestly I think Emily doesn’t even know [what will happen], and that’s the beauty of the way that they write the show. She has yet to find all the qualities she maybe is looking for.

"But that being said, there is that connection with Gabriel, but now she has Camille in that love triangle, so I think there’s still experiences to be had, adventure to be had and she’s still finding herself."

She added that with Mindy having moved in with Emily during the series finale, season two is set to be full of fun. "I can't wait to hopefully see what madness ensues there."

There's also the possibility that series two could see Emily travel to the UK, with Collins telling Harper's Bazaar: "At some point, I was joking with Darren and said, 'Couldn't they just, like, hop on the Eurostar and, like, have a British excursion?' I think it could be Emily going to all these different places."

"It's Emily in … and then insert the city. She could just take the train and go all over Europe, and Mindy and her could go together," she said. "I think that there's so much personality that we can dive into more in the second season if we get to go."

Read more about Emily in Paris:

• Emily in Paris season 2 review: Lily Collins finds her French footing in fluffy romcom follow-up
• Where was Emily in Paris season 2 filmed? A complete location guide

Emily in Paris is available to stream on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.