In summary:
- Tech Advisor reports that Bridgerton Season 5 may arrive sooner than expected, potentially premiering in 2027 as Netflix works to reduce production gaps between seasons.
- The upcoming season will focus on Eloise Bridgerton’s love story, adapting Julia Quinn’s novel “To Sir Phillip, With Love” with most main cast members returning.
- Scripts are nearly complete and a new Lady Whistledown mystery will unfold, while Season 6 will feature Francesca’s storyline.
Gentle reader, another chapter in the Bridgerton family saga has come to an end. This time, Benedict found happiness in married life, wedding Sophie Baek – the famous Silver Lady – in the finale of season 4.
Based on the novels by Julia Quinn, each season focuses on a different couple, following their ups and downs as they try to find happiness in a high-pressure society. If you’ve binged the show and are now wondering what comes next, never fear.
Here’s everything you need to know about Bridgerton season 5, including the potential release date, the couple we’re following next, and which cast members are expected to return.
Spoilers for Bridgerton season 4 parts one and two follow.
When will Bridgerton season 5 be released?
For now, there’s no word on when the fifth season of Bridgerton will premiere. However, showrunner Jess Brownell on Bridgerton: The Official Podcast confirmed that the script for season 5 is almost ready:
We pretty much finished the writers’ room. We’re nearly done with the scripts.
Season 2 hit Netflix just a year and three months after the premiere of season 1. However, fans had to wait over two years for season 3, and over a year and a half for season 4. If work on the script is almost done, there’s a chance that the fifth instalment of Bridgerton will premiere as early as 2027.
As Jess Brownell, said while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter:
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. 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.
Speaking to Bustle, the showrunner stated:
When I said the two-year time mark, I knew we were going to be a little bit quicker than that, but I was trying to under-promise and over-deliver. And instead, I think I just made everyone really upset. But we really have been endeavoring – from even before that point – to make everything quicker. I would say with season 5, we’re on track – all things [considered], if everything goes to plan – we’re on track to either meet or exceed the year-and-a-half timeline.
Netflix
The show is exclusive to Netflix – you can sign up for an account on the website, with prices starting from $7.99/£4.99 per month.
Who will be the next lead couple on Bridgerton?
It all depends on which book the screenwriters decide to adapt for season 5.
The series, written by Julia Quinn, consists of eight novels, and Netflix has so far filmed only four (plus the Queen Charlotte prequel). There is still a lot of material waiting to be adapted and there are many adventures of Bridgerton family members ahead for fans.
Season 1 of the Netflix series followed the first volume, The Duke and I, telling the story of Daphne Bridgerton and Simon, the Duke of Hastings. Volume 2, The Viscount Who Loved Me, was adapted for season 2, which covered the romance between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma.
Netflix
However, season 3 jumped forward to the fourth book in the cycle, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, centred around Colin and Penelope Featherington. Season 4 was based on volume 3, An Offer from a Gentleman, featuring the love story of Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek.
The next book in the series, To Sir Phillip, With Love, focuses on Eloise Bridgerton and her epistolary romance with Sir Phillip Crane. Interestingly, he already appeared in the Netflix series, portrayed by Chris Fulton.
Widowed Francesca finds new love in the sixth book in the series, When He Was Wicked. She falls in love with her deceased husband’s cousin, Michael, who in the Netflix series has been gender-swapped for Michaela.
The showrunner has already confirmed to Deadline that seasons 5 and 6 will follow Eloise and Francesca, though she hasn’t revealed in which order.
Netflix
Which cast members will return for Bridgerton season 5?
Here’s the list of the actors and actresses who may return in the fifth instalment of the show:
- Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
- Hannah Dodd as Francesca Stirling
- Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
- Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
- Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek
- Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton
- Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton
- Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton
- Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton
- Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma
- Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Bridgerton
- Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs Varley
- Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling
- Daniel Francis as Lord Marcus Anderson
- Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich
- Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich
- Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
- Hugh Sachs as Brimsley
- Polly Walker as Portia Featherington
Season 5 will also feature Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, though in the season 4 finale she was about to set off for overseas travel. As the showrunner revealed, she will be a key character in show’s next intalment.
Netflix
Julie Andrews will return as the voice of Lady Whistledown. However, there’s a catch. As you may recall, in the third season, Penelope came out as Lady Whistledown, solving the series’ biggest mystery. However, in season 4, she decided to retire as the gossip columnist and focus on fiction writing.
Surprisingly, at the end of season 4, Lady Whistledown returned as the story’s narrator. However, there were subtle changes in Julie Andrews’ voice and storytelling style. As it came out, these were meant to reflect the fact that the pseudonym now hides a different person. The identity of the next Lady Whistledown will be a new mystery in the series.
As Jess Brownell stated to Variety:
Tom Verica, who’s our producing director, worked with Julie on finding just like a slightly different inflection for this new version of Whistledown. We have some ideas about what the new voice of Whistledown is that you’ll hear a lot more about in season 5. And the hope was that Julie’s performance kind of tips the hand a little bit about this Whistledown being slightly different than the last one. It’s not just going to be a rehash of the way Penelope did the column.
Netflix
Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor didn’t appear in season 4 as the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, so a return for season 5 would be unexpected.
Will there be a season 6 of Bridgerton?
Yes! Netflix has renewed the series for seasons 5 and 6 at the same time. For now, it’s unknown which novels the Bridgerton series will adapt next and when season 6 will premiere on Netflix.