Following its success in 2020, there was naturally an expectation for The Queen’s Gambit season 2. The 2020 miniseries has been adapted from and based on Walter Tevis’ 1994 novel of the same name. Released on Netflix on October 23, 2020, The Queen’s Gambit became the platform’s most-watched scripted miniseries.
The Queen’s Gambit also set a record for Netflix, becoming its first show to win Best Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards. This feat includes the show’s eleven Primetime Emmy Award wins. Judging by its success, Netflix will naturally exploit opportunities for a second season if ever there were possibilities. Here’s everything to know about the fate of The Queen’s Gambit season 2 and an update about its production.
What Was The Queen’s Gambit About?
The 7-episode miniseries The Queen’s Gambit introduces Beth Harmon (portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy) as a nine-year-old orphan whose mother died in a car crash. Forced to live in an orphanage, Beth grows increasingly dependent on the tranquilizing pills given to make the orphanage children more compliant. She also finds a new interest in chess, having secretly watched Mr. William Shaibel (Bill Camp), the orphanage custodian. Her chess talent, resulting from a natural spatial intelligence and abusing mind-altering tranquilizers, quickly made her a local champion.
Adopted as a teenager by Alma (Marielle Heller) and Allston Wheatley (Patrick Kennedy), Beth’s dream of normalcy is crushed after the couple separates. Alone, Beth struggles to fit in at school and battles an addiction to drugs. Although she makes significant progress in her career as a chess player, Beth is plagued and tormented by self-doubt and her demons. In 1967, Beth Harmon beat Benny Watts (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), the reigning United States Chess Champion, at the U.S. Championship to become the national champion.
After a defeat at an international stage, a heartbroken Beth returns to her hometown of Kentucky. Greeted with the sad news of Mr. Shaibel, Beth finds comfort in the arms of an old childhood friend, Jolene (Moses Ingram). With Jolene’s help, Beth fights her alcohol and drug addictions. In the end, when a sober Beth Harmon faces Soviet World Champion Vasily Borgov (Marcin Dorociński), she beats him to claim the title. Beth Harmon’s journey of genius and madness explored themes of addiction, resilience, ambition, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment.
Will There Be The Queen’s Gambit Season 2?
No, there will not be a The Queen’s Gambit season 2. Released as a miniseries, neither Netflix nor The Queen’s Gambit director/showrunner Scott Frank had any plan for a follow-up season. According to Scott Frank in a September 2021 interview with Deadline, “I feel like we told the story we wanted to tell, and I worry — let me put it differently — I’m terrified that if we try to tell more, we would ruin what we’ve already told.”
While his statement didn’t outrightly deny the possibility of The Queen’s Gambit season 2 happening, a statement from a spokesperson at Netflix nailed the possibility. According to Netflix’s spokesperson, “There will not be a continuation of the series.” The miniseries was based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel, which had no sequel. Besides, like its source material, The Queen’s Gambit fleshed out and closed every major plot arc. As Scott Frank noted, creating The Queen’s Gambit season 2 will do more harm than good to its legacy.
Why There Were Speculations About The Queen’s Gambit Season 2
Although audiences weren’t exactly expecting The Queen’s Gambit season 2, social media posts about it naturally piqued their interest. It started in January 2023, when a post on actress Anya Taylor-Joy’s X social media account read “The Queen’s Gambit 2.” This short tweet quickly went viral as fans began retweeting and liking it. As the lead actor in the miniseries, audiences believed Taylor-Joy’s post. However, just when hopes were up, Taylor-Joy took down the post and posted a follow-up message on her Instagram Story, stating, “ My Twitter has been hacked—apologies for all inconveniences. It’s NOT me!”
While this quelled speculations about The Queen’s Gambit, several unofficial Netflix pages and accounts also began posting similar messages in mid-2023. Again, it attracted the attention of The Queen’s Gambit fans. As the posts went viral, shares and likes only helped propagate the fake news of the show’s return. However, no plan exists to continue an Anya Taylor-Joy-led The Queen’s Gambit. However, theatrical rights to the novel were acquired in early 2021 to produce a musical. The latest update on The Queen’s Gambit was Netflix’s tie-in chess simulator game, adapted and released in 2023. Although The Queen’s Gambit season 2 might never happen, there are several other similar period dramas like it to add to your watchlist.
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