Here's What We Know About The Bridgerton Prequel Series
If you've even scrolled aimlessly on Netflix in the past week, then you've likely seen "Bridgerton" splashed all over the streaming platform. The hit Regency-era period drama first aired in December 2020, and became Netflix's most-watched show at the time, per Complex. On March 25, 2022, "Bridgerton" Season 2 dropped on the platform. This time around, Season 2 focuses on the family's eldest son, Anthony Bridgerton, as he searches for a wife (and maybe falls in love, too!) As Deadline reported that Season 2 has already become "the most-viewed English language TV title," it's clear that the show is just as popular as ever. The season has also been approved for Seasons 3 and 4, as well as a prequel spinoff, so it isn't going anywhere anytime soon, either.
According to a press release from Netflix, the prequel will spotlight a young Queen Charlotte, who is played by Golda Rosheuvel in the series. Unlike others in "Bridgerton" — which is based on a series of books by Julia Quinn — Rosheuvel's character is inspired by a real person. According to the royal family's official website, Queen Charlotte was married to King George III, and due to his mental illness, she was his legal guardian up until she died 1818. Here's everything we know about the spinoff show so far.
'Bridgerton's' prequel series will focus on Queen Charlotte's life
"Bridgerton" producer Shonda Rhimes told Variety that the idea for a prequel came from Netflix CEO, Ted Sarandos. According to Rhimes, Sarandos called her and asked if she would write a series centering around the queen. Rhimes was very into the idea, as she shared with Variety. "I'm very obsessed with Queen Charlotte, and I always call her the Beyoncé of the show," Rhimes said. "I'm constantly saying out loud, 'God, I love her wigs' — somehow hoping that somebody will send me one of her wigs so that I can walk around wearing it."
Golda Rosheuvel, who plays the queen on "Bridgerton," was immediately interested in the idea as well. "We're going to still be in the world of Bridgerton. We're not moving away from the world that we know and love Queen Charlotte to be in," she told E! News. "I think it's really going to be interesting to see where she has come from and the things that have led her to her in the Bridgerton that we know and love." According to Netflix, the limited series does not yet have a timeframe for when filming will start. However, the release did share that the story will feature more familiar faces: Ruth Gemmell's character, Violet Bridgerton, and Adjoa Andoh's character, Lady Danbury. As Andoh told E! News, "These relationships are long lived between Lady Danbury, Lady Bridgerton, and the queen. That's what the prequel is going to talk about."