Popular Netflix period drama Bridgerton is set to offer two new love stories in Seasons 5 and 6, the streaming platform announced in a statement, a month ahead of the 29 January premiere of the fourth instalment. The makers also shared glimpses from the upcoming season, billed as a retelling of the timeless Cinderella tale. Here’s a look.
Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) has seen daughters Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and sons Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Colin (Luke Newton) retire from the marriage mart in the previous instalments. Season 4 will see Luke Thompson’s Benedict Bridgerton falling for Yerin Ha’s Sophie Baek after they cross paths at a masquerade ball.
Benedict pursued his passion for art in Season 1 and 2. Season 3 of the Regency era drama saw him indulging in a steamy romance with Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and the latter’s friend Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio). Season 4 is based on Julia Quinn’s 2001 novel An Offer from a Gentleman, the third book in the eponymous eight-book series.
In the novel, Benedict falls in love with Sophie Beckett, an earl’s daughter who has been relegated to the role of a servant by her disdainful stepmother. According to a press communique on Tudum, Sophie’s surname has been changed to Baek in the show out of respect for Ha’s Korean culture.
Season 4 of the Chris Van Dusen-created series includes returning cast members like Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton), Victor Alli (Lord John Stirling), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury), Julie Andrews (Lady Whistledown), Simone Ashley (Kate Bridgerton), Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Bridgerton), Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton), Florence Hunt (Hyacinth Bridgerton), Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton), and Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton).
The upcoming season will drop on Netflix in two parts — Part I on 29 January and Part II on 26 February.
Since Bridgerton’s debut in 2020, each of the three previous seasons has ranked among Netflix’s most popular, with Season 1 and 3 currently ranking as no. 5 and no. 7 positions, respectively. The prequel, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, also dominated the Global Top 10 list of Netflix following its release in May 2023, as per a report by Tudum.
Jess Brownell is showrunner for Bridgerton Season 4, with Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Tom Verica, and Chris Van Dusen serving as executive producers.