A Royal Surprise: ‘The Remarried Empress’ Releases One Day Early on Disney+ and Hulu

In a surprise gift to fans, Disney+ and Hulu are moving up the royal arrival of The Remarried Empress, bringing the lavish Korean fantasy romance to viewers Nov. 3, one day ahead of its previously announced premiere.

Stars Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young revealed the change Tuesday at a press conference in Seoul. The first four episodes will be available at launch, with Disney describing the early release as a thank you to fans for their support.

The rest of the 10-episode series’ rollout remains unchanged: Two new episodes will arrive each Wednesday beginning Nov. 11, with the final pair streaming Nov. 25.

Based on the hit Naver Webtoon, The Remarried Empress combines palace intrigue, romantic betrayal and an impossibly elegant heroine determined to claim her own future. Shin plays Navier, the empress of the Eastern Empire, whose marriage unravels when her husband, Emperor Sovieshu (Ju), falls for escaped slave girl Rashta (Lee Se-young). Navier agrees to his request for a divorce on one condition: She must be permitted to marry her own budding love — Crown Prince Heinrey (Lee Jong-suk) of the rival Western Kingdom.

The series was adapted for the screen by Yeoh Geena and Hyun Choongyeol and directed by Cho Suwon, whose credits include Still 17 and Pinocchio.

The early premiere announcement follows the series’ sold-out preview screenings at the Busan International Film Festival in October. According to Disney, the show’s trailer generated more than 13 million views across YouTube and social media platforms in its first 48 hours, while the wildly popular original webtoon on which the show is based has amassed nearly three billion views.