According to Deadline, the unnamed limited series will serve as a prequel to the flagship drama and tell the story of Queen Charlotte’s love life and rise to power. The spinoff will also feature younger versions of Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury. Shondaland head Shonda Rhimes will write the series and executive produce along with Betsy Beers and Tom Verica.
“Many viewers had never known the story of Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton brought her to the world, and I’m thrilled this new series will further expand her story and the world of Bridgerton,” said Netflix head of global TV Bela Bajaria. “Shonda and her team are thoughtfully building out the Bridgerton universe so they can keep delivering for the fans with the same quality and style they love. And by planning and prepping all the upcoming seasons now, we also hope to keep up a pace that will keep even the most insatiable viewers totally fulfilled.”
Queen Charlotte is an original character to Bridgerton and did not appear in Julia Quinn’s eight-book series. She is played by Golda Rosheuvel in the Regency-era drama.
Additionally, Jess Brownell has been named showrunner of Bridgerton Seasons 3 and 4, taking over for Chris Van Dusen, who served as showrunner for the series’ inaugural season and is currently running Season 2. Brownell served as a writer for the first two seasons of the show, and has worked on various Shondaland projects, including Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.
“As we continue to expand the world of Bridgerton, we now have the opportunity to devote even more of the Shondaland fold to the Bridgerton-verse,” Shondaland CEO Shonda Rhimes said. “We’ve worked with Jess Brownell for over a decade and have long wanted to find the right project to place in her hands. When it came time to pass the baton, I knew this unique voice was vital to the future of the show. “
“With Bridgerton, I set out to make the period show I always wanted to see. I never could’ve anticipated how much the rest of the world also wanted to see it,” Van Dusen said. “I’m deeply proud of this remarkable cast and incredible crew, and I’m so grateful for the enduring support of Shonda, who I’ve worked alongside for 17 years. Shondaland is where I learned how to make TV, craft incredibly complex characters and how to tell stories. And while it’s been an incredible journey, I have my sights set on a few new stories to tell. To that end, I’ll continue as showrunner — writing and producing season two of Bridgerton and look forward to seeing Jess continue the magic in seasons three and four. I’d also like to thank Julia Quinn and her passionate fans — for embracing my vision for bringing these beloved books to the screen.Bridgerton stars Simone Ashley, Phoebe Dynevor, Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Claudia Jessie, Ruby Barker, Golda Rosheuvel, Luke Thompson, Luke Newton, Ruth Gemmell, Polly Walker, Charithra Chandran, Rupert Young, Julie Andrews, Shelley Conn and Calam Lynch. Season 2 has not yet received a release date.
