‘The Doll’ Netflix Release Date & Time, Trailer, Plot, Cast

Netflix is preparing to introduce a new period drama built around obsession, class division and a doomed romance, and the streamer’s take on a beloved piece of Polish literature is drawing attention well beyond Poland’s borders. ‘The Doll’ is an upcoming Polish historical drama television miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Bolesław Prus, and it stars Sandra Drzymalska and Tomasz Schuchardt.

With the premiere now close, viewers have questions about when the series drops, what the story actually covers, and who fills out its cast. Here is what has been confirmed so far about the six part limited series and its journey from page to screen.

The Doll Netflix Release Date

‘The Doll’ will be released on Netflix on 16 September 2026. The series is confirmed to officially premiere globally on that date. The story is structured as a compact, six episode limited series rather than an open ended run.

Regional listings support the same date. The Doll is scheduled to arrive on Netflix in the UAE on 16 September 2026, according to the official Netflix UAE title page and its local rating display. Netflix is offering the show as part of its standard subscription catalogue rather than as a separate rental or purchase.

No exact rollout time has been published for individual regions, which is typical for Netflix titles ahead of launch. In the United States, the season’s upcoming release is confirmed for 2026, with domestic audiences able to stream it on Netflix once it lands. Given the six episode structure, this is not the kind of series that demands a season long commitment, but rather a self contained story meant to be consumed in a shorter window.

The Doll Trailer

Netflix released a first look image from the series in January 2026, and a teaser trailer followed the next month. That early teaser notably featured the song “Creep” by Radiohead, a choice that generated its own wave of attention. The trailer’s use of “Creep” struck a chord with fans and tied directly into the show’s exploration of unrequited love and class conflict.

Since that teaser, Netflix Poland has followed up with a full trailer. This week, Netflix Poland revealed the complete trailer alongside confirmation of the September 16th release date for the miniseries. The official trailer sets a mood that is lavish, romantic and faintly dangerous, in keeping with the tone of the source material.

The promotional rollout has also highlighted an unusual wrinkle in this release. Netflix’s ‘The Doll’ is not the only adaptation of Prus’s novel arriving in 2026, since a feature film version directed by Maciej Kawalski, with a completely different cast, is also set to hit Polish cinemas that same September. That overlap has already fueled comparisons between the two projects’ marketing and visual identities among fans following both releases closely.

The Doll Plot

The story follows the complex tension between the wealthy merchant Stanisław Wokulski and the aristocratic Izabela Łęcka. The narrative centers on a man dedicating his life to winning over an aristocrat, giving Netflix a story built around obsession, class and a poor emotional investment on Wokulski’s part.

The source material itself carries significant literary weight. The series is adapted from the renowned nineteenth century serialized Polish novel ‘The Doll’, originally published between 1887 and 1889. The novel is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of Polish literature, and this Netflix version is not the first screen adaptation, following an earlier 1968 film.

Thematically, the show leans into the same tensions that made the novel endure. The series explores intense themes of love, dangerous obsession, and rigid class barriers within Warsaw’s high society. That framing suggests a drama less interested in tidy romance and more focused on how ambition and desire collide with social hierarchy.

The Doll Cast

Sandra Drzymalska and Tomasz Schuchardt lead the series, playing Izabela Łęcka and Stanisław Wokulski respectively. Drzymalska was previously nominated for a Polish Academy Award for her role in Jerzy Skolimowski’s ‘EO’, and Netflix subscribers may also recognize her as Monika, one of the leads in the comedy series ‘Sexify’, which ran for two seasons. Schuchardt, who plays Wokulski, has built an extensive career in Poland across both film and television, including a supporting role in the Netflix original ‘Operation Hyacinth’.

The supporting ensemble draws from established Polish talent as well. Dariusz Chojnacki brings Ignacy Rzecki into the orbit of the central pair, while Jacek Braciak, Julia Wyszyńska and Magdalena Cielecka round out the principal ensemble. The wider cast list also includes Maria Kania as Marianna, Piotr Pacek as Starski, and Piotr Adamczyk, further filling out the world surrounding Wokulski and Łęcka.

Behind the camera, the creative team brings its own track record. The series is directed by Paweł Maślona, who also co-wrote the episodes alongside Paweł Demirski and Jagoda Dutkiewicz. Maślona is best known for his previous film ‘Scarborn’, a 2023 account of the life of Polish revolutionary hero Tadeusz Kościuszko, a general who organized an uprising against the Russian Empire in the eighteenth century. He is also recognized for his critically acclaimed work on ‘Kos’.

Production details point to a serious, location driven shoot. Principal photography began on 1 July 2025, with filming taking place that month at Nieborów Palace and Szajnocha Street in Wrocław, followed by the Karol Poznański Palace in Łódź in September, and later Lublin Old Town and locations near the Nicolaus Copernicus Monument on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw. That spread of historic settings across multiple Polish cities suggests a production aiming for a grand, immersive period backdrop rather than a limited soundstage feel.

With the premiere date locked and the full trailer now in circulation, the only real question left is how Wokulski and Łęcka’s story will land with an international audience discovering Prus’s novel for the first time through this adaptation, and what viewers make of Wokulski’s choices once the series actually arrives.