Since it premiered in 2020, Bridgerton has transported viewers to a world of romance and historical finery. In May 2024, the Regency era smash hit series returned to Netflix for its third season, which saw longtime friends Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) step into the main romance storyline (with Kanthony not too far behind them). There was friends-to-lovers tension, multiple subplots with the rest of the Bridgerton cast (maybe too many), and a masterful glow-up of Penelope's Regency-era fashion and hair and makeup looks. Though Pen and Colin eventually found their happily-ever-after by the end of eight episodes, fans were left languishing, facing another multi-year hiatus between seasons.
Fret not, gentle readers: Bridgerton season 4 is on the way. Netflix is known to keep fans updated as an upcoming Bridgerton season is made, from highly-anticipated castings to updates from set, to plenty of first-look images and teasers. We're keeping track of all this, and every clue we can find on Bridgerton season 4, below.
Has 'Bridgerton' been renewed for a fourth season?
Yes! The Netflix romance series was renewed for seasons 3 and 4 in April 2021, while season 2 was still in production. As for the future of the series, executive producer Shonda Rhimes has hinted that the series could go on for as long as seven seasons (though we're hoping for eight, as there are eight novels in Julia Quinn's book series).
“I do have a very specific plan of where we go each season—which one is which,” Rhimes told Variety in a May 2024 interview. “Because you really have to start seeding in the other siblings, and what’s going on with them, to push them to the next season. We’ve really talked about it through, I think, season 6 or maybe 7.”
When will 'Bridgerton' season 4 come out?
The hiatuses between Bridgerton seasons have been unbearable for fans, as each season has taken over two years to be released. (Season 1 debuted in December 2020, season 2 in March 2022, and season 3 in May and June 2024.) If season 4 follows the same schedule, we won't see the next love story until fall 2026.
However, production appears to be moving along quickly for the new episodes. On September 16, 2024, Netflix announced that filming has begun on Bridgerton season 4, dropping the news along with behind-the-scenes portraits of the season's leads Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha, taken on Bridgerton's newly constructed back lot at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England.
Rhimes first mentioned the idea of building permanent Bridgerton sets in a May 2024 interview with Variety, where she revealed that the show's team had been considering ways to speed up the show's production, while still working with the Netflix method of filming. She explained to Variety, “They want to write everything, and then they want to shoot everything, which is—it’s very counterintuitive to the way I learned to make television.”
"We’re really working on the idea of if this is the field we live in, then how do we make the field faster?" she added. "And so we really are thinking about stuff such as permanent sets and lots, and things like that that will really help us speed the process up.”
Which Julia Quinn book will 'Bridgerton' season 4 be based on?
It's official: Bridgerton season 4 will follow Benedict's love story. After hinting in the season 3 finale, Netflix confirmed on July 23, 2024, that Luke Thompson will step into the leading role for the upcoming season, as Bridgerton adapts the novel An Offer From a Gentleman. The streamer announced the news along with a video of Thompson preparing for a costume fitting, involving a suit for a masquerade ball.
For those still making their way through the books, An Offer From a Gentleman sees Benedict entranced by a mysterious woman attending his mother's masquerade ball. The woman in question is Sophie Beckett, an earl's daughter-turned-servant for her wicked stepmother, who must flee the ball before midnight. (It's giving Cinderella.) Benedict loses his dream girl, but soon he also becomes captivated by an oddly familiar maid.
July's announcement ends years of speculation on whether the Netflix series would return to the original order of Quinn's books, or continue to shake things up as the adaptation puts its spin on the beloved romance series. While season 3 did confirm that later books will make some big changes (especially Francesca's story from When He Was Wicked), it appears that season 4 will be heavily based on the second-eldest Bridgerton brother's romance.
Who will be in the cast of 'Bridgerton' season 4?
Ladies and gentlemen, we officially have our Sophie Beckett... or should we say, Sophie Baek! On August 16, 2024, Variety reported that Korean-Australian actress Yerin Ha has been cast as Benedict's love interest, also known as the "Lady in Silver." The star will also be Bridgerton's first lead of East Asian descent.
Ha is best known to U.S. audiences for playing Kwan Ha in both seasons of Paramount+'s Halo television series. Ha's also part of another mega-popular franchise; she's set to appear in Max's Dune: Prophecy.
In a September 2024 interview with Shondaland, Ha shared her thoughts on joining the Bridgerton cast. "I don’t think there are enough words in the dictionary to describe what it’s like joining the family, but I’m just very, very grateful, and everyone’s been so welcoming with open arms. It’s been a lovely experience so far."
On September 16, 2024, Netflix revealed three more new cast members joining season 4. Katie Leung, who's best known for playing Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films, will portray Sophie's employer, Lady Araminta Gun. Per a character description from Tudum: "Twice married and twice widowed, Araminta has two girls debuting on the marriage mart this season and is feeling the pressure to get at least one of them married off. Fabulous, discerning, and blunt, Araminta does not respond well when anything—or anyone—threatens her standing in society."
As for those two girls, Michelle Mao will play Araminta's eldest daughter Rosamund Li, described as "beautiful, vain, and eager to please her mother." She's said to set her sights on Benedict for her husband. Meanwhile, Isabella Wei will play Posy Li, Rosamund's "much kinder" younger sister, whose "chatty, overly friendly demeanor often has her putting her foot in her mouth."
Which cast members are returning for 'Bridgerton' season 4?
Netflix has also confirmed which of Bridgerton's recurring cast are returning for season 4. First things first, Polin will be back! Speaking to TheWrap in May, Nicola Coughlan confirmed that she and Luke Newton will return for the upcoming season, keeping the show's tradition of bringing back (at least one member of) each season's prior couple to help along the next.
Coughlan told the outlet, “They’ve told us we’re back for Season 4, which is super lovely… It’ll be exciting. [We’ll] pop back and have some fun for sure."
Other returning cast members include, of course, the Bridgertons: Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton), Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton), Florence Hunt (Hyacinth Bridgerton), and Will Tilston (Gregory Bridgerton). Hannah Dodd will also reprise her role as Francesca Stirling (née Bridgerton), with Victor Alli (John Stirling) and Masali Baduza (Michaela Stirling!) in tow.
Rounding out the cast are, Adjoa Andoh (Lady Agatha Danbury), Daniel Francis (Lord Marcus Anderson), Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), Julie Andrews (voice of Lady Whistledown), Polly Walker (Portia Featherington), Lorraine Ashbourne (Mrs. Varley), and Martins Imhangbe (Will Mondrich). Plus, Emma Naomi (Alice Mondrich) and Hugh Sachs (Brimsley) have been upped to series regulars.
What do we know about the plot of 'Bridgerton' season 4?
All we know of season 4 so far is the official logline provided by Netflix: "The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down—until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball."
While the details of season 4's plot are still tightly under wraps, Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha did offer their takes on the season overall in a September 2024 interview with Shondaland. Thompson said, "I think the main thing we can expect is a really nice mix of fairy tale and reality. We’ve got this fairy-tale love story, yes, but it’s also got the Bridgerton element of trying to tether [that story] to some sort of reality as well."
Meanwhile, Ha added, "You can expect this emotional tug of war, this kind of push and pull between what their hearts desire and what society desires for them."
