The wait is finally over for fans of the swashbuckling Dickensian sequel. The Artful Dodger Season 2 officially landed on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ internationally on February 10, 2026. The new season brings back Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the charming pickpocket-turned-surgeon Jack Dawkins, along with David Thewlis as the scheming Fagin and Maia Mitchell as the ambitious Lady Belle Fox.
With the show plunging viewers back into the rough-and-tumble world of the 1850s penal colony of Port Victory, many are curious about where this vivid historical world was built. The series continues to call Australia home, with production once again taking over a historic site in Sydney to bring the gritty, lively colonial town to life.
The Historic Heart of Port Victory: Callan Park
For the second season, the production team returned to a familiar and fitting location. The Artful Dodger Season 2 was filmed at the historic Callan Park in Sydney, Australia . This sprawling heritage site in the inner-west suburb of Rozelle served as the primary backdrop for the fictional colony of Port Victory.
Filming took place on the grounds of the Callan Park Hospital for the Insane, a massive sandstone complex that dates back to the late 19th century. Its grand, crumbling architecture and expansive grounds provide the perfect visual shorthand for a burgeoning colonial outpost caught between old-world formality and frontier roughness. The location was confirmed as the filming site as early as November 2024, with production gearing up to shoot throughout early 2025 .
The use of Callan Park is not just a matter of convenience; it adds a layer of authentic texture to the show. The existing 19th-century buildings eliminate the need for excessive CGI or backlot construction, allowing actors to inhabit real, historically-significant spaces. This grounds the show’s more heightened elements—the heists, the romances, the life-and-death surgeries—in a tangible reality.
Returning to New South Wales
The decision to base the production in Sydney was a strategic one, supported by local government bodies. The second season received backing from the NSW State Government through Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund, which also supported post-production, digital, and visual effects work . This investment highlights the show’s importance to the local film industry and economy.
The production is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television’s Curio Pictures, an Australian company, reinforcing the series’ identity as a distinctly Australian take on classic British literary characters .
New Locations and Sets for Season 2
While Callan Park remains the anchor, Season 2 promises to expand the world of Port Victory. According to promotional materials from Disney+, viewers will “discover a brand new part of the town” in the upcoming episodes . This suggests the production built new sets or utilized different areas of the Callan Park complex to depict previously unseen districts, possibly including the docks, new marketplaces, or even wealthier enclaves that reflect the colony’s growth.
The arrival of new characters, such as Luke Bracey’s Inspector Henry Boxer and Jeremy Sims’ Uncle Dickie, likely comes with new locations . Boxer, as the new lawman, would need a constabulary or office, while Uncle Dickie, described as the Governor’s “charming and disreputable older brother,” probably inhabits shadier parts of town, like gambling dens or smuggling operations .
A Quick Refresher: What Happens in Season 2?
To understand why these locations matter, it helps to know where the characters are at the start of the new season. The second chapter picks up six months after the events of Season 1. Jack Dawkins is in a jail cell, facing a death sentence for a crime he didn’t commit . The season opens with a race against time as Fagin orchestrates a chaotic escape from the gallows.
However, Jack’s freedom is conditional. He is placed on a two-year probation, forced to serve as Fagin’s “inmate servant” and banned from seeing Belle, who is pursuing her dream of becoming the colony’s first female surgeon . This forced separation sets the stage for secret meetings, dangerous heists, and intense romantic tension, all playing out against the backdrop of Port Victory’s muddy streets and colonial buildings.
The new season also introduces a love triangle, as Inspector Boxer sets his sights on Belle, competing directly with Jack . This adds a new layer of danger; if Jack is caught with her, he faces immediate execution.
Who’s Back and Who’s New in the Cast
The ensemble cast remains one of the show’s biggest strengths. Returning alongside Brodie-Sangster, Thewlis, and Mitchell are familiar faces from the first season, including Susie Porter as Lady Jane Fox, Damien Garvey as Governor Edmund Fox, Tim Minchin as Darius Cracksworth, and Damon Herriman as Captain Lucien Gaines .
Joining the chaos for Season 2 are three notable Australian actors:
- Luke Bracey (known for Elvis and Hacksaw Ridge) as Inspector Henry Boxer, the new authority figure.
- Jeremy Sims (Mr Inbetween) as Uncle Dickie, the Governor’s disreputable brother.
- Zac Burgess (Cruel Intentions, Boy Swallows Universe) as Phineas Golden, Dickie’s handsome aide .
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How to Watch The Artful Dodger Season 2
All eight episodes of the second season are now available to stream. In the United States, the series is available on Hulu. For those looking to bundle, it is also accessible via Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers . Internationally, including in the UK, Canada, and Australia, the show streams on Disney+ .
The series continues its global rollout, bringing the sights and sounds of 1850s Sydney—actually filmed in 21st-century Sydney—to audiences worldwide.
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