Netflix’s most binge-worthy marketing exec isn’t done rewriting the European playbook just yet. Emily in Paris rocketed back into the Global Top 10 with 19.9 million views in its first four days last August, staying on the list for four consecutive weeks and cracking the Top 10 in 93 countries — a performance that virtually guaranteed a fifth outing.
Now that green-lit season is officially rolling cameras: production began in Rome on May 7 and shifts to Paris later this summer, mirroring the storyline that sees Emily spearheading Agence Grateau’s new Italian office while trying to keep her Paris portfolio from unraveling.
Season 5 ups the stakes (and the glamour) by splitting time between two fashion capitals, debuting Lily Collins’ headline-grabbing “Italian bob” before she trades it for a razor-sharp French fringe. It also injects new royal intrigue with Oscar-nominee Minnie Driver joining as Princess Jane, while stalwarts like Lucas Bravo and Ashley Park return to keep the romance and rivalry simmering.
Netflix is targeting a late-2025 premiere, positioning the series once again as the streamer’s holiday season franchise—and giving fans just enough time to brush up on their Italian before Emily’s next social-media-fueled takeover.
Production Kicks Off in Rome
Cameras rolled on May 7, 2025, with the crew setting up shop near the Spanish Steps and Trastevere before the production caravan heads back to Paris in mid-summer. The compressed schedule—roughly twelve weeks—mirrors last year’s shoot, so Netflix can still land its promised late-2025 premiere.
Creator Darren Star says the decision to open in Rome reflects Emily’s new role: she’s spearheading Agence Grateau’s brand-new Italian office, which means big Roman fashion houses will pop up as clients and filming partners. Expect plenty of dolce-vita set pieces—Vespas, rooftop aperitivos, and at least one runway sequence inside a repurposed Baroque palazzo.
A Tale of Two Cities
Season 5 splits its time almost evenly between Rome and Paris. The early episodes follow Emily’s whirlwind attempt to launch the Rome branch while juggling the politics of the still-standing Paris team. Mid-season, she flies back to the French capital to salvage a luxury campaign gone sideways—only to discover that rivals have circled her Rome accounts in her absence.
The dual-city structure lets the writers explore the contrast between buttoned-up French corporate culture and the more free-wheeling Italian fashion scene, all while giving the show fresh visual palettes: burnt-sienna alleyways in Rome versus Paris’s Haussmannian grays.
Style Evolution: From “Italian Bob” to “French Bob”
Lily Collins debuted a crisp collar-bone-skimming “Italian bob” for the Rome storyline—sharp, center-parted, and paired with silk scarves that nod to Fendi’s Spring ’25 collection. Once the narrative shifts back to Paris, the cut shortens into a blunt French bob with micro-fringe and low-key waves.
According to on-set stylist Mike Desir, the two chops symbolize Emily’s professional growth: Rome’s cut is “assertive,” while Paris’s is “pared-back confidence.” Fashion watchers are already calling the look a likely trendsetter for autumn salon requests—just as Season 1’s bucket-hat moment spiked millinery sales in 2020.
Cast: Who’s In, Who’s Out
- Returning regulars: Lily Collins (Emily), Ashley Park (Mindy), Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Sylvie), Samuel Arnold (Julien), Bruno Gouery (Luc), William Abadie (Antoine), Lucien Laviscount (Alfie), Lucas Bravo (Gabriel), and Eugenio Franceschini (Marcello). Bravo’s comeback is notable after his public misgivings about Gabriel’s trajectory; scripts reportedly give the chef a revitalized, more self-aware arc.
- Exiting: Camille Razat (Camille) will sit this season out after her character’s adoption storyline closed the loop in Season 4. Showrunners say the door remains “cracked open” for future cameos.
- Likely recurring: Thalia Besson (Geneviève) appears in three Rome episodes as Emily’s junior counterpart, heightening mentor-mentee tension.
New Faces to Watch
- Minnie Driver joins as Princess Jane, a British royal-by-marriage and old friend of Sylvie’s. Jane wants to modernize a centuries-old charitable foundation and hires Emily’s team for a global rebrand—setting up cross-channel intrigue that spans Villa Borghese garden parties and Parisian state dinners.
- Rumors persist of a cameo from Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, shot during production’s week at Valentino’s atelier, but Netflix has not confirmed.
- A guest-arc tech CEO from Silicon Valley, code-named “Maxine,” reportedly courts Agence Grateau for a metaverse perfume launch—a storyline intended to satirize both AI hype and influencer culture.
Release Window & Episode Count
Season 5 sticks to the franchise’s ten-episode format. Post-production begins in August, aiming for a late-2025 drop that aligns with the series’ usual holiday binge slot. Netflix is already mapping global fan events in Paris and Milan to capitalize on tourism crossover.
Story Themes & Plot Hooks
- Professional High Stakes: Emily must prove she can helm two offices at once while fending off a rival agency led by a charismatic Roman strategist who thinks Paris has gone “out of fashion.”
- Romantic Reset: With Camille gone and Marcello now a steady beau, Gabriel’s re-entry complicates Emily’s “clean slate.” Early scripts hint at an unexpected partnership between the two men—think collaborative pop-up trattoria—forcing Emily to confront lingering feelings.
- Cultural Fluency: Emily’s Italian language blunders echo her early Paris missteps, but this time she leans on Mindy and Sylvie to navigate high-society etiquette, giving the show fresh fish-out-of-water comedy beats without repeating old jokes.
- Fashion as Narrative: Costume designer Marylin Fitoussi promises more vintage couture paired with emerging-designer pieces, reflecting Emily’s transition from social-media darling to bona fide power broker.
Season 5 looks set to expand the show’s universe without sacrificing the escapist glamour that made Emily in Paris a global comfort-viewing staple—only now, it’s sprinkled with espresso-fueled Roman chaos and a royal plotline ready to stir the champagne.
