Will There Be a “Sweet Magnolias” Season 5? Everything the Cast Has Said About the Series' Potential Next Chapter

From returning cast to potential storylines, here’s what we know so far about ‘Sweet Magnolias’ season 5

Warning: Sweet Magnolias season 4 spoilers ahead!

Fans of Sweet Magnolias want to see more of their favorite characters’ stories — and so do the people who play them.

Heather Headley, who portrays Helen Decatur in the cozy Netflix series, told Parade that she felt like the season 4 ending left “so many questions that needed to be answered.” Though the streamer has yet to confirm more episodes, the Tony-winning Broadway actress said she thinks a fifth season is on the horizon.

“I think people are gonna wonder what the future holds,” Headley told the outlet in February 2025. “When we got to the end of [filming] it, it felt final, but still in my heart, I was like, 'No, it's not done.' "

Sweet Magnolias follows three lifelong best friends as they navigate their careers, relationships and families in the small fictional town of Serenity, S.C. The series, which stars Headley along with JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Brooke Elliott, is based on the popular novel series of the same name by Sherryl Woods. With 11 books written, there’s still plenty of material to explore in the on-screen adaptation. 

So, will there be a Sweet Magnolias season 5? Here’s everything to know about whether or not the series will continue.

How did Sweet Magnolias season 4 end?

After catching up on what happened during the time jump from season 3, the Sweet Magnolias season 4 finale concluded with a lot of happy endings. Helen’s boyfriend Erik (Dion Johnstone) finally proposed, Maddie finally tied the knot with Cal (Justin Bruening) and Dana Sue opened her teaching kitchen.

But the Magnolias also experienced their fair share of shake-ups that could majorly change the friendship trio viewers have come to love — like Maddie being offered her dream publishing job in New York City. If she accepts and moves away from Serenity, it would have a major ripple effect throughout the town.

Will there be a Sweet Magnolias season 5?

Netflix has yet to confirm if Sweet Magnolias will have a season 5. But showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson told Tudum in February 2025 that she’s keeping her fingers crossed so that they can explore what happens to the Magnolias if one of them moves away.

“I deeply, deeply hope that we get a Season 5 so we can answer that,” Anderson said. “But the reason we even raised the question here at the end of Season 4 was because we feel so many women are confronted with, ‘Am I allowed to put myself first this one time?’ ”

She continued, “And how complicated it is for somebody like Maddie, with a new marriage, with kids still in the house, with dear, dear friends that you have seen every day your entire life. She’s so deeply woven into the community. Does that mean she has to say no to a dream?”

Which cast members may return for Sweet Magnolias season 5?

Nothing has been confirmed, but some of the Sweet Magnolias cast has already expressed their desire to return for another season. Headley told Parade that she wants to see her character get “the wedding of all weddings for Serenity.” This isn’t asking a lot, considering that fans have waited four seasons to watch Helen and Erik get together.

"It's been years in the making,” Headley said. “And so I think it would be a beautiful celebration ... and because it's Helen, and she's the one who likes the clothes and all that kind of stuff, it should be quite the wedding."

Why isn’t Chris Klein returning to Sweet Magnolias?

Sweet Magnolias took viewers on a wild ride for its fourth season with the untimely death of Bill, Maddie’s ex-husband played by Chris Klein. So while it’s likely that the series’ primary ensemble cast will return to the show if another season is renewed, Klein most likely will not.

“First of all, we love Chris,” Anderson told Deadline in February 2024. “This was purely story-driven, and I explained that to him. He was very gracious and understanding. We were looking for an event where we could literally track the ripples through all of his friends and family and reset their journeys accordingly.”

What would Sweet Magnolias season 5 about?

Because Netflix hasn’t confirmed a new season, the cast and crew can only speculate about which storylines they’d like to explore. While Maddie’s new job and Helen’s engagement are two obvious threads, Headley has another topic she thinks the show should continue to touch — her character’s reinvention of motherhood.

“I think there are many women in this world who don't necessarily get the honor of that gift of having children, you know, naturally to themselves," she told Parade. "However, they are amazing aunts and godmothers and friends and mentors to kids and adoptive moms to kids everywhere. And so I think that, to me, has always been her storyline, maybe that she has embraced these other children, and how she does that."

When will Sweet Magnolias season 5 be released?

While season 5 of Sweet Magnolias hasn't been confirmed, all four seasons of the series are available to stream on Netflix.