Picture: The Riot – Netflix
Premiering globally on December 9, 2026, Netflix’s Polish prison-drama series The Riot draws inspiration from Europe’s historic 1989 uprisings. As freedom sweeps through the country, a desperate rebellion inside a prison forces two former cellmates onto opposing sides of the bars. Here’s everything we know so far.
The Riot (also known as Bunt) is an upcoming Polish Netflix Original prison-drama series written by Łukasz Bluszcz and Marcin Kubawski. Directing duties were split between Mateusz Rakowicz, who helmed episodes 1, 2, 4, and 5, and Marek Lechki, who directed episodes 3 and 6. The series is produced by Maciej Kubicki of Telemark.
Screenwriter Łukasz Bluszcz shared the following:
We were inspired by real events – some of the largest postwar uprisings in Europe, which took place in Poland in 1989. Years ago, I co-produced a documentary about them, and ever since then, this story has stayed with me, as if it were demanding a more complete telling. It is incredibly complex – criminal, political, and historical – yet deeply human, because it touches on fundamental emotions and desires: the struggle for freedom, the need for dignity, and the hope for change. From the very beginning, our ambition was to create a series inspired by real events that would draw viewers right into the heart of the rebellion and let them feel its tension, what was at stake, and its emotional weight.
When is The Riot coming to Netflix?
Netflix has confirmed that The Riot will be released globally on December 9, 2026.
An official trailer for The Riot has been released.
What is the plot of The Riot?
Netflix has provided a synopsis for The Riot:
December 1989, Poland. Everyone is celebrating freedom and change. Everyone except those behind bars. For them, change is only a promise, and hope turns out to be the most dangerous weapon of all. Because when you take it away, a riot is born. The same riot that will put two former cellmates on opposite sides of the bars, trying to prevent a massacre.
Picture: The Riot – Netflix
Who are the cast members of The Riot?
Borys Szyc plays Reagan. The actor has starred in multiple Netflix Originals, such as Autumn Girl, Detective Forst, Operation Nation, and Heweliusz.
Picture: Borys Szyc as Reagan in The Riot – Netflix
Filip Pławiak (White Courage) plays Janek Chmielewski, a politically connected character. Anita Szepelska (Mental) plays Agnieszka Czajka, the prison psychologist.
Some of the prisoners are confirmed as Ryszard Kakietek (Mother’s Day), Michał Pietrzak (L for Love), and Michał Felczak (Dead End), with Filip Karaś (Accused), Marcin Cieślikowski (Hound’s Hill), and Jan Aleksandrowicz-Krasko (Small World) playing prison guards.
Picture: The Riot – Netflix
Rafał Maćkowiak (Drowsiness), Artur Kujawa (Krew), Jacek Poniedziałek (Battle of Warsaw 1920), and Robert Wabich (365 Days) play staff members of the Prison system and administration.
An extensive cast has been unveiled for The Riot:
- Matylda Giegżno
- Szymon Warszawski
- Katarzyna Borkowska
- Michalina Pitry
- Karol Wróblewski
- Andrzej Andrzejewski
- Karolina Rzepa
- Winicjusz Bartków
- Michał Zborowski
- Paweł Tchórzelski
- Maciej Kosiacki
- Marek Kossakowski
- Marcin Sitek
- Tadeusz Łomnicki
- Kacper Męcka
- Judyta Paradzińska
- Marcin Mazurek
- Antoni Sałaj
- Paweł Mandziewski
- Bernadetta Statkiewicz
- Barbara Kurzaj
- Rafał Dziwisz
What is the episode count?
There will be a total of 6 episodes.
Are you looking forward to watching The Riot on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!