Bridgerton Season 3: Here’s Everything We Know About the Netflix Series

Liam Daniel/Netflix

Did you binge Bridgerton season two and Queen Charlotte already? And now you’re here, looking for answers about Bridgerton season three? Can’t blame you—the show goes down smooth. Thanks to the beautiful sets, sexy plots, and tales of intrigue, it seems we all can’t get enough of the Regency-era romance series. So thank heavens Netflix has already lined up seasons three and four. (And given the show’s success, a season five seems likely too.)

As for where the story is headed? The new seasons will likely follow the books: Read our crash course on the steamy romance novels by Julia Quinn to learn more.

And when will the next batch of episodes will drop? Here’s everything we know so far about Bridgerton season three…

When will season 3 premiere?

We have a release date! On December 12, 2023, Netflix revealed that the season three, part one, will hit the streamer on May 16, 2024. Part two will drop a month later on June 13.

Who is the main character of Bridgerton season 3?

While the first two seasons followed the book series in terms of which Bridgerton sibling led the story, things will look different in season three. On May 15, 2022, Penelope Featherington herself (Nicola Coughlan) confirmed that she’ll be leading season three opposite Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). “Like Lady Whistledown, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time and I can confirm to you all that season three is Colin and Penelope’s love story,” she said, per a press release from the streaming service. “I have kept that secret since two weeks into season two.  This is the first time I am saying it here.”

Netflix revealed the news on Instagram via a society paper written by Lady Whistledown, a.k.a. Penelope. “Dearest Readers, it is only fair that in this author’s third year chronicling the marriage mart, Mayfair’s social season should find its focus on a third son…as well as a third daughter. This author can confirm that the upcoming season shall follow none other than the budding relationship between Mr. Colin Bridgerton and one Miss Penelope Featherington. With Penelope’s days as a wallflower wearing thin, will she finally take bloom? Time will tell, and as always, so will this author.”

We suspected this might happen. Shortly after season two aired, executive producer Shonda Rhimes told Entertainment Tonight, “We’re not necessarily going in order, but we are going to be seeing each of the siblings and their stories… [The writers] got a little bit creative so we’re already hard at work writing season three… That is already in progress and you’ll see. Give it time.” But when asked directly which sibling would get the star treatment next year, she said, “I can’t tell you! That is a spoiler, I can’t.”

When Glamour asked Van Dusen to tease what we’ll see next season, here’s what he told us: “Where we leave Penelope and Colin [in season two] sets them up for some really interesting stories in future seasons. Whether that’s season three or beyond, I can’t say at this point. But we’re definitely going to return to visit them and explore that in the next season.”

Newton didn’t seem in too much of a hurry to get to Polin’s love story, at least based on what he told Glamour. “I’d like to see him settle, even if it’s just for a moment, even if it’s for like one or two episodes. I feel like Colin—even just in the family environment and dynamic—is unsettled by something the majority of the time. There was the love story that he was keeping from everyone last year and everything that was playing on his mind at that point. This year it’s him not having a purpose and feeling kind of down and not having something that he’s passionate about…I guess it would be a ball where he feels great, he feels confident, and he’s found himself a bit. That’s what I’d love. But then, if that happens, that’s almost the end of his story. So I’m happy to wait for as long or as soon as they want that to happen.”

So what does this mean for Benedict, played by Luke Thompson? His book is the third in the Julia Quinn series, so it’s possible we’ll finally see his story told in season four of the show. Series creator Chris Van Dusen told ET, “I love Benedict’s story. I love his story and all these siblings, all these characters for different reasons. They all offer something new. I think it was really the appeal to me in a project like this, the fact that we could tell these close-ended love stories and shift focus season after season.” In terms of following or not following the books, he said, “I think it depends on story, and it always comes down to character for me…. I think we do a lot of work in these first two seasons to set up characters in these future seasons, and every one of these siblings is going to eventually carry their own season, so it’s important to flesh out these characters and set them up for success.”

Translation: They’re going to do what they want to make the setups and payoffs work. Readers who have seen the first two seasons will have noticed that Eloise’s storyline has already been shifted. As for Benedict, back in season one he went to an orgy and hooked up with the modiste…neither of which happen in the books.

What do we know about the plot?

On July 20, 2022, Netflix teased a bit more of what’s to come for Polin. By the end of season two, Penelope has all but given up on Colin and finds herself in the midst of a row with her BFF, Eloise. Despite this, she has “decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters,” Netflix writes in a release. “But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly.”

Colin, on the other hand, is overflowing with confidence—so much so that he’s willing to “mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband.” (You can see where this is going.) Turns out, Colin’s a great teacher. “When his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly,” according to the release.

When Glamour spoke to Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise Bridgerton, about what she’d like to see happen in the next season, she had some great ideas. “I’d like [Eloise] to get political. Because season two is seeing her meet new people, being involved in different parts of society, exploring new ideas, different ways of thinking. She’s always reading, so she’s very much at that lovely youthful, sponge stage and taking things in. I really would love her to find her passion and her thing—what is the thing that she loves learning about the most—and then that being her objective and maybe it becomes political,” Jessie said. “Also, I’d really like her to just have a boyfriend and it not be because they’re going to get married. I’d just love for her to be like, ‘I’ve got a fella. That’s my partner.’”

Bridgerton season 3 started filming in July 2022.

On July 20, 2022, Netflix confirmed that filming of season three had begun. The streaming service released a video of the returning cast, which you can see below:

Who is leaving and joining the cast?

Perhaps the biggest casting news for season three is the announcement that Phoebe Dynevor will not appear. ”Sadly, not in season three. Potentially in the future,” Dynevor told Screen Rant in January 2023 when asked about developments for her character, per People. “But season three, I’m just excited to watch as a viewer.”

“I’ve done my two [seasons],” she told Variety. “I’ve done what I wanted to do with that character and she had a great arc. If they ask me back in the future, who knows?”

Thankfully, Simone Ashley, who plays Kate Sharma, a.k.a. Viscountess Bridgerton, will be returning. “We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started,” she revealed in March 2022. “In season two, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other toward the end. I think everything is just starting.”

While Ashley previously told Glamour that she was at least hoping for “a small appearance” in season three, it sounds like her role will be more substantial, especially now that she’s the (female) head of the Bridgerton household. “She’s got big boots to put on…. I’m just excited for her to have a home and to have a family,” she told us. “I’m excited to see her grow.”

Ashley also told E!, “Yes, there will be a post-marriage Kanthony story for sure.” In an interview with British Vogue, she revealed more about what’s in store for the couple: “We’re filming a dance this week and tonally, it’s so different—sweet, endearing and light, compared to the heaviness of their story last season.” As for Kate becoming the new Viscountess Bridgerton, that will be explored as well: “Even though she comes across as fierce, people like that are sometimes the softest on the inside. They develop that skin because they’re vulnerable. You see her insecurities and fears. She’s fucking nervous and I think there’s strength in admitting that.”

Another Bridgerton shakeup is the recasting of Francesca Bridgerton. According to Deadline, Hannah Dodd will now take over the role from Ruby Stokes, who has other filming commitments. This means we’ll likely see much more of Francesca’s story next season—something Van Dusen also confirmed to Glamour.

“We unfortunately lost Ruby [Stokes] midway through filming [of season two] due to another project,” he told us. “Francesca was actually written into the season much more than you see her in the final edit. We tried really hard to make it work, but we just couldn’t. So after exhausting a bunch of other options, we unfortunately had to take Francesca out of some of the scripts due to reasons that were really beyond our control…. Francesca is definitely a Bridgerton. She has her own love story in book six, so it was always my goal and my intention to focus on one Bridgerton sibling per season and to definitely tell the stories of all those brothers and sisters at some point.”

As for the new suitors? In July 2022, Netflix revealed that Daniel Francis, Sam Phillips, and James Phoon will be joining the season 3 cast as potential love interests. Francis plays Marcus Anderson, a “charismatic presence who lights up any room he enters, attracting the notice of certain matriarchs in the ton—and the ire of others.” Phillips will star as Lord Debling, who’s described as having “unusual interests.” But of course, he has “wealth and a noble title to back up his eccentricities.” (Don’t they always.) Finally, Phoon’s Harry Dankworth is the classic hot but dim suitor. There’s always one!

But wait, there’s more! In October 2022 it was announced that Black Sails actor Hannah New will be joining the cast as “firebrand widow” Lady Tilley Arnold. Here’s her character description, per Deadline: “Widowed at an early age, she enjoys the privileges and power that come with being at the helm of her former husband’s estate, living life on her own terms with financial independence and sexual freedom.”

What about Regé-Jean Page?

Every Bridgerton fan was of course crushed to learn that Regé-Jean Page, season one’s heartstoppingly beautiful leading man, would not be appearing in the second season along with his costar Phoebe Dynevor. At the time Page was, in fact, adamant in his decision to quit the series after the sexy first season.

And despite some rumors to the contrary, Page confirmed once again that he will not be returning to the series. In an Instagram post on June 21, Page wrote, “The papers made that one up,” referring to speculation that he was in talks to make a triumphant return for season three.

What about changes behind the scenes?

Chris Van Dusen, the series creator, will be stepping aside, and Jess Brownell, a writer who has worked across the ShondaVerse, will be taking over as showrunner.

Can we get a little sneak peek?

Of course! During the Netflix Tudum event in September 2022, Coughlan gave Bridgerton fans an exclusive preview of the first episode of season three, titled, “Out of the Shadows.” Here is a sneak peek at Lady Whistledown’s first message to the Ton in season three:

On June 17, 2023, Netflix shared our first official look at Penelope and Colin’s love story with a series of photos from the third season…and can we just acknowledge the chemistry?! See for yourself:

Six months later, on December 25, Netflix dropped even more pics—including a steamy photo of Kate and Anthony, as well as our first look at Dodd as Francesca.

On February 1, Netflix finally released a sneak peak of season three.

The 30-second clip shows Colin and Penelope staring meaningfully into each other’s eyes as Penelope says, “Your eyes are a most remarkable shade of blue. And yet somehow they shine even brighter when you are kind.” Then suddenly she changes her tone and adds, “I might say something like that if you were a suitor,” making it clear that Penelope is trying to coach Colin on how to woo someone else. Colin awkwardly chugs his water and replies, “Well, that was rather direct.” And they both rush out of the room. Ugh, this is gonna be so good.

In another clip, released on Valentine’s Day (duh), Penelope rips Colin to absolute shreds for leading her on and then dismissing her. It’s sad but satisfying.

Netflix also gave us a tantalizing sneak preview of the episode titles for the first drop, as well as more stills:

What about the first trailer?

It’s here! On April 11, Netflix and Shondaland dropped the first official trailer as well as new images. The trailer teases much of what we already knew: Penelope finally ditches her horrible lemon-colored dresses (and looks 10 times hotter for it), Colin also gets the Bridgerton leading man glow-up, and the chemistry between the two is off the charts. “What is the primary force that guides us along our paths,” Lady Whistledown asks in the trailer. “Is it our minds, or our hearts?”

Hearts. It’s definitely hearts. Take a look:

As for those new images we mentioned, check those out below. Most interesting? A first peek at Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson in conversation with Lady Danbury. We wonder what they have to discuss…. Guess we’ll find out soon enough!

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

Originally Appeared on Glamour