Will there be a Bridgerton Season 4?
Netflix Colin and Penelope’s love story has officially ended, with Bridgerton Season 3 giving fans some clues regarding who the next Bridgerton lead will be. But will there be a fourth season?
Since the inception of Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes has often said they plan to adapt every one of Julia Child’s books involving the Bridgertons. Now with the third season, it was Colin’s time to shine in a friends-to-lover romance with Penelope.
Knowing the Bridgerton universe is meant to continue following the source material, many wonder if Bridgerton Season 4 is in the works.
While Season 3 also gave fans a lot of teasers on who could be the next lead between Francesca and Benedict.
Will Bridgerton Season 4 happen?
Yes, Bridgerton Season 4 will happen, as Netflix made the original announcement in 2021 that both Season 3 and Season 4 were greenlit.
Netflix announced they had approved Season 3 and Season 4 back-to-back. It’s safe to say that Bridgerton Season 4 will happen, and it’s just a matter of time until it’s revealed who will lead the season.
Rhimes has been the creative mind behind bringing the Regency era to life and expanding on the beloved characters. She has not only led all seasons of the Bridgerton love stories but also the successful prequel series Queen Charlotte.
In an interview with Variety, Rhimes confirmed they have every ambition of bringing the eight original books to life for Netflix.
Longtime production partner Betsy Beers said, “I’ll be a granny gumming my food, but we want to make sure that there’s Bridgerton for all of us who love it.”
The question is how well Bridgerton Season 4 will follow the next book installment. Season 3 did make some changes to the original storyline, like Penelope’s speech and Francesca’s future story arc.
When could it come out?
Sad news for Bridgerton fans, as Bridgerton Season 4 won’t be released for at least two more years.
The Bridgerton franchise hasn’t been very consistent with its release schedule, as Season 1 premiered at the end of December 2020. Kate and Anthony’s story in Bridgerton Season 2 took two years to premiere on Netflix in March 2022.
Bridgerton Season 3 took the initiative to split the season into two parts for its 2024 release. Part 1 was released on May 16, with Part 2 a month later in June.
With Bridgerton Season 4 already greenlit, fans will sadly have to wait before seeing the new storyline. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Jess Brownell elaborated that creating the seasons takes some time.
“We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language,” she said. “And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace, we’re trying to speed up, but somewhere in that range.”
Bridgerton is a rather large production due to the amount of detail that goes into it. For instance, embroidered gowns and costuming need to be made, and pop music hits have to be composed into string quartet pieces.
The Queen’s elaborate wigs must be designed and created. Queen Charlotte actor Golda Rosheuvel revealed that her character’s moving swan wig from Season 3 Episode 4 took two years to create.
Until then, fans can only hope they will get an official announcement on which Bridgerton will be the next focal point of the season.
Who’d be in the cast?
Fans can expect main cast members like Ruth Gemmell, Florence Hunt, and Will Tilston to return for Bridgerton Season 4. Read below who else can be expected to return:
- Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton
- Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton
- Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma
- Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton
- Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Bridgerton
- Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
- Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
- Luke Thomspon as Benedict Bridgerton
- Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
- Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
- Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton
- Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton
- Hugh Sachs as Brimsley
Season 1 actors Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page exited the series as they felt their characters Daphne and Simon’s stories had ended. But Bridgerton has a way of keeping some of the past couples.
Anthony and Kate are the head of the Bridgerton household and remain as recurring characters in Bridgerton Season 3. According to People, Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey aren’t ready to say goodbye to their characters.
“Both Johnny and I, we adore our characters, Kate and Anthony, so much and their relationship and what they mean for the show,” she said, adding, “I think we’ll do all we can with our schedules to make it work so that we can, hopefully,” said the actor as the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.
With Penelope and Colin now married and having produced a male heir for the Featherington house, it can be speculated they will return as supporting characters in Season 4.
It’s more than certain that Gemmell will reprise her role as the Bridgerton matriarch. Benedict, Hyacinth, Gregory, and Eloise are not yet married.
How Bridgerton Season 3 sets up Season 4
Fans have high hopes that Bridgerton Season 4 will finally tell Benedict’s love story with Sophie Bennett. The season teased that Benedict might be ready for more.
NetflixBenedict hasn’t been one to look for romance in his pursuit of finding himself. In Bridgerton Season 3, fans saw him dive into his feelings for widow Lady Tilley Arnold and explore his sexuality in a relationship with her and her friend Paul.
But the Season 3 finale teased that Benedict might be the next love story, with Brownell confirming that his story with Sophie is “definitely” still on the cards. Not to mention that Eloise tells her brother she cannot miss their mother’s grand masquerade ball.
In Benedict’s solo book, the masquerade ball is where he meets Sophie. Brownell said in an interview with The Wrap they’re “setting up lots of different threads that could lead to one of several characters being the lead for Season 4.”
Bridgerton Season 3 began Francesca’s love story with John Stirling and ended in their marriage. But the showrunner threw in a curveball by introducing Michaela Stirling, formerly known as Michael Stirling in the books.
Fans are aware that Francesca’s love story is an upsetting one with John dying of a brain aneurism, her issues with having a child, and now her sparked interest in Michaela. A Bridgerton Season 4 may wrap up her story alongside Benedict’s or save it for later.
Let’s also not forget that Eloise left with Francesca for Scotland at the end of Season 3. Her own solo story is unlikely to take place in Season 4.
Brownell revealed to The Wrap, “I think it’s absolutely possible that she’s going to open up to love in the future, but we have a little bit more we want to do with her before she’s ready for that.”
Bridgerton Season 3 is available to stream on Netflix. You can read more about the cringe moment fans can’t get over, whether Eloise’s reaction this season was justified, and new series to stream.