Picture: Rai

On January 19th, 2026, Netflix picked up the rights to the highly ambitious series Sandokan, an adaptation of the famous novels of Emilio Salgari in over two dozen countries, including the UK and the US. Featuring a cast from around the globe, the series aired in December, and thankfully, we know it will be returning for a second season. 

Headlined by Can Yaman, who co-stars alongside some top British talent like Alanah Bloor, Ed Westwick, and John Hannah, the series follows a pirate ship captain and his crew fighting to protect the Dayak from the clutches of the British Empire in South East Asia in the 19th century.

Netflix doesn’t have global rights to the show; Disney+ carries it in some regions, such as Italy, alongside RaiPlay. It is also available on Starz in select territories and Voyo in others.

The show has gotten off to a solid start in the Netflix top 10s in the countries it launched in, including getting as high as number 7 in the daily TV top 10s in the US so far, and 6 in the US. In all, according to FlixPatrol, the show has featured in the daily top 10s in two dozen countries with top performers including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay.

Has Sandokan been renewed for season 2?

Yes! Following reports that the series was eyeing a renewal over the summer of 2025, official confirmation came in December 2025 that it would return.

La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper, confirmed the renewal with one of the series’ directors, Jan Maria Michelini, who spoke about the series’ success, mostly citing its international sales and incredible viewership on Rai.

Michelini told the news outlet (translated to English), “The publicity was enormous, and the success Sandokan had in foreign markets in terms of sales, even before its release in Italy, was significant. It comforted us, but we didn’t expect such a high figure. We were hoping for it, and we’re very happy, especially because we were dealing with a ‘sacred monster’.”

Michelini then confirms season 2 is on the way, “We’re already thinking about it, we’ll start shooting between spring and summer [2026].” He also teased that Kabir Bedi, the original actor in the 1970s movie, was a fan and that they had hoped he would do a cameo, but schedules have yet to align. y

Will Sandokan season 2 be available on Netflix?

Here’s where things get tricky. While we know the show will return, its licensing rights aren’t yet clear.

What we do know is that Netflix picked up season 1 for a two-year period (meaning it’ll stay streaming at least through early 2028), but there’s no official word on whether season 2 will come to Netflix. As we’ve observed over the years with pickups like Sandokan, there’s no guarantee that future seasons will stream.

Are you hoping season 2 of Sandokan will make its way to Netflix where you live? Let us know in the comments down below.