The Remarried Empress

Did You Know?

• The series was invited as one of six drama series in the On Screen section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, where three of ten episodes will be screened in October 2026.
• After its premiere at BIFF, subsequent episodes will be available every Wednesday until the series finale on November 25.
• Heinrey can secretly transform into a bird and spies on the Eastern Empire's palace.

Cast and characters

Shin Min-a stars as Navier, the clever and graceful empress of the Eastern Empire, whose marriage to her childhood friend Emperor Sovieshu was calm but lacked love. Ju Ji-hoon plays Sovieshu, who divorces Navier to wed Rashta, a former slave. Lee Jong-suk is Heinrey, a Western Kingdom prince who can secretly turn into a bird and spies on the Eastern palace, where he meets and falls for Navier. Lee Se-young portrays Rashta, a runaway slave who becomes Sovieshu’s second empress. Supporting cast includes Lee Bong-ryun as head lady-in-waiting Eliza, Choi Dae-hoon as secretary McKenna, Park Ho-san as former owner Viscount Lotteshu, Jung Young-joo as Albani, Nam Yoon-ho as secretary Baron Lante, Lee Joon-hyuk as King Wotton III, and Kang Han-na as Christa.

Production

Disney+ commissioned this adaptation of Alphatart’s web novel. Jo Soo-won, director of Pinocchio (2014), is at the helm, with a script by Yeo Ji-na and Hyun Choong-yeol, who wrote The Uncanny Counter (2020). Studio N handled production. In November 2025, reports emerged that Shim Na-yeon—known for Beyond Evil (2021) and The Good Bad Mother (2023)—had joined as co-director alongside Jo Soo-won during the final stretch of filming. A script reading occurred on May 13, 2025. The previous year, Lee Jong-suk and Shin Min-a were reportedly in talks for roles. By April 2025, the lead cast was officially set: Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Se-young. A June script reading added Lee Bong-ryun, Choi Dae-hoon, Park Ho-san, Jung Young-joo, and Nam Yoon-ho to the ensemble. Lee Joon-hyuk and Kang Han-na reportedly signed on in November. Principal photography kicked off in Prague in June, a month behind the original May schedule, and was expected to wrap in November.