Season 3 spoilers ahead.
Colin Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington and their shippers finally got their happily ever after Thursday with the final four episodes of Season 3 of Netflix’s Regency-era romantic drama “Bridgerton.”
With Season 3 over and sprinkled over what seemed like an entire social season, all eyes are now on Netflix and Shondaland to announce the main duo for “Bridgerton” Season 4. The series is adapted from the books of the same name by Julia Quinn, with each book focusing on one of Bridgerton’s eight siblings: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.
Anthony, Colin, Daphne and Francesca all lived happy lives during the first three seasons of “Bridgerton,” which leaves the four remaining siblings. Grégory and Hyacinthe are far too young, which leaves Benedict and Eloise. So who is it going to be?
Here’s what we know so far about “Bridgerton” season 4, including the cast and release date.
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The “Bridgerton Chronicles” version:Is this a sign of a queer romance to come?
Will there be a “Bridgerton” season 4?
Yes. In April 2021, a few months after season 1, Netflix announced that “Bridgerton” would be renewed for seasons 3 and 4.
“Esteemed members of the Ton. It looks like we have a pretty special announcement,” Netflix said in its announcement. “‘The Bridgertons’ will return for seasons three and four. This author will need to buy more ink…”
‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Release Date
Netflix hasn’t exactly been consistent when it comes to “Bridgerton” release dates.
The first season was released in December 2020 and the second season landed a little over a year later, in March 2022. However, season 3 took its time, arriving a little over two years later and in separate parts . The first part of season 3 dropped on May 16, while the second part was released on June 13. Between seasons 2 and 3, Netflix released “Queen Charlotte”, a spin-off of the series “Bridgerton” without any of the main Bridgerton siblings.
Netflix has yet to announce details for season 4, but showrunner Jess Brownell, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the UK premiere of part two on Wednesday night, said fans can expect a wait which can last up to two years.
“We’re working to try to get the seasons out faster, but it takes eight months to film, and then you have to edit them, and then dub them into all the languages,” Brownell told THR. “And writing also takes a lot of time, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace, trying to speed up, but somewhere in that range.”
In a separate interview with the Los Angeles Times, Brownell revealed that filming for the next season will begin in the fall and that the next season may have a warmer vibe compared to the pastels and spring vibes of the past three seasons. .
The main couple of season 4 of “Bridgerton”
Netflix, the cast and creators of “Bridgerton” have remained rather tight-lipped about which Bridgerton sibling will lead season 4. Will it be strong-willed Eloise (Claudia Jessie) or second-born Benedict (Luke Thompson) or even Francesca, whose story is not yet over? The producers did not follow Quinn’s timeline, changing things to surprise the audience.
When the first part of season 3 was released in May, Jessie, in an interview with USA TODAY, said: “I don’t know anything. But I’m going to be so heartbroken when I have to stop playing Eloise. I I just want to be here as long as I can.”
At the end of season 3, Eloise leaves for Scotland to live with her younger sister Francesca at the estate of her husband, the Earl of Kilmartin, in order to see more of the world before she can “attempt” to change it. However, she tells her big brother Benedict that she will return before their mother’s masked ball, where Benedict is expected to meet his love interest Sophie Beckett, if the books are to be believed.
Thompson, meanwhile, in a recent interview with USA TODAY, tried to dodge the question, coyly saying, “Oh, God, no. I don’t even know if it’ll be next season.”
“I can’t comment. I don’t know anything,” he said, adding that he was excited to possibly “go deeper” into Benedict’s character.
Benedict, at the end of season 3, ended things with Lady Tilly Arnold, telling her that he valued her freedom and wanted to explore more of the world. Tilly hoped for a more substantial relationship with the Bridgerton brother, telling him that even “mirth can become tiresome.” This conversation seems to have resonated with Benoît and in his latest shot, he appears to be at a crossroads regarding his future.
“I’m really excited about what we’re writing,” Brownell told THR. “We’re nearing the end of the writers room season, with the scripts. And I feel like this is some of my best work and the best work in my writers room. We have really solidified our collaboration and we’re shooting at full speed, so I can’t wait for the fans to see what we have.
Interview:Luke Thompson Talks Next Season of ‘Bridgerton,’ All Things Benedict
Who will play Sophie Beckett?
Netflix has yet to announce whether Benedict will direct season 4, nor has it revealed who will play his book love interest, Sophie Beckett, the illegitimate daughter of Richard Gunningworth, the Earl of Penwood and a maid.
Brownell told TVLine that “for any character’s season, we try to keep all the big building blocks of their season for their season.”
“When we start a season, we want our protagonists to be at the very beginning of their journey in many ways and still have a lot of room to grow so we can really dig into it,” Brownell said.
The cast of “The Bridgertons Chronicles”
Although Netflix has yet to announce casting details for “Bridgerton” season 4, it’s likely that much of the recurring cast will return for the new season, although some of them might have a time limited screen space, based on previous trends. Viewers can also expect to see new characters like Michaela Stirling, who made a brief appearance at the end of season 3.
In the meantime, here is a list of the actors and their characters in season 3 of “Bridgerton”:
- Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
- Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington
- Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
- Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
- Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton
- Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma
- Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton
- Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton
- Victor Alli as Lord John Stirling (The Earl of Kilmartin)
- Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling, Lord John’s cousin
- Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton
- Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton
- Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
- Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
- Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown
- Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Varley
- Harriet Cains as Philipa Featherington
- Bessie Carter as Prudence Featherington
- Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper
- Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich
- Polly Walker as Portia Featherington
- Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson
- Sam Phillips as Lord Debling
Who is Michaela Stirling?
At the end of season 3, viewers are introduced to a new character, Michaela Stirling, who is the cousin of the Earl of Kilmartin, Lord John. Michaela, who will accompany Eloise, John and Francesca to Scotland, leaves Francesca slightly flustered as she introduces herself.
Brownell, in an interview with Glamor, confirmed that Michaela would play Francesca’s love interest and that they had planned a queer romance for the character.
The showrunner, in her interview, said that when she first read Francesca’s book “When He Was Mean,” she “really identified with it as a queer woman,” explaining that the book ” talks a lot about how she feels different.”
“I think Julia Quinn’s intention in the book is simply for Fran to feel different because she’s an introvert. But for many of us in the queer community, that feeling of difference is part of our stories,” Brownell said in the interview, adding that she felt like “there was thematically fertile ground in her book to tell a queer story” with a happy ending.
“It was important to me to tell a core queer story so we could give them a happily ever after, like we did with all the other couples,” Brownell said.
In the books, John and Francesca enjoy a happy marriage, until John dies of a brain aneurysm. His best friend, Michael, secretly in love with his wife, becomes an earl and takes over the domain. However, devastated by his friend’s death, Michael fled to India to grieve. However, upon her return years later, Francesca seeks a second husband to start a family and the two eventually fall in love and marry.
How many seasons will “Bridgerton” have?
“The Bridgertons Chronicles” is slated to run for eight seasons, given that there are eight books in Quinn’s “The Chronicles of Chronicles” series.
Brownell told TVLine that producers are “aiming for eight seasons” and “want each sibling to have their own season.”
Executive producer Shonda Rhimes also previously said she plans to adapt all eight Bridgerton books into eight seasons for Netflix.
So stay tuned, dear reader.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on @saman_shafiq7.