Rivals 2 is shooting in various locations in the Cotswolds and south-west

A hefty, ten-month shoot gets underway in the south-west today (12 May) on the second series of Rivals for Disney+, with production once again based at The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol. As first confirmed by Production Intelligence, the drama is returning for an extended season of twelve episodes.

Based on the novel by Jilly Cooper, the returning series will feature a reappearing cast that includes David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Katherine Parkinson and Danny Dyer, Victoria Smurfit, Claire Rushbrook, Oliver Chris, Lisa McGrillis, Emily Atack, Rufus Jones, Luca Pasqualino, Catriona Chandler and Annabel Scholey.

Eliza Mellor is producing the series, with executive producers including Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Alexander Lamb, Felicity Blunt, Elliot Hegarty, Laura Wade, Cooper and Jonny Richards. With Hegarty, Jamie J Johnson and Dee Koppang O’Leary in the directing chair.

The series is produced by Happy Prince for Disney+. The executive producers for Happy Prince, Treadwell-Collins and Lamb, commented: “We are so excited to be returning to Rutshire for an extended stay of twelve episodes for season two of Rivals. It’s very special to have the same team return in front of and behind the cameras and we cannot wait to share more of Jilly’s world with our audience”.

Production Intelligence subscribers have had access to the exact shoot dates, and key UK production hires on this project since December 2024; click here to request a free walkaround of the site