"Bridgerton" Just Cast Anthony's Love Interest for Season 2

From Oprah Magazine

• The second season of Bridgerton will focus on Anthony Bridgerton's romance, and his love interest, Kate, was just cast.

• Filming will begin in the spring of 2021.

• The show, adapted from the Julia Quinn romance novels, stars Regé-Jean Page, Phoebe Dynevor, Jonathan Bailey, Golda Rosheuvel, Julie Andrews as the narrator, and more.

Bridgerton, the period drama adapted from Julia Quinn's The Duke & I, was one of the highlights of the 2020. The lavish sets, delightfully British cast, and lead Regé-Jean Page (Simon Bassett) had us hooked, and even speaking in Regency romance vocabulary.

From the Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews) reveal to that mysterious buzzing bee, Bridgerton's season 1 finale left us with a number of questions that only season 2—and Quinn's books—could answer.

Luckily, season 2 is officially on its way. "Anthony is going to have a love interest and it's going to be as sweeping and as beautiful as viewers have come to expect from the show," creator Chris Van Dusen teased of season 2 on TODAY. And if we're going by Anthony's novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, we have a good idea of what's to come on his road to love. And it involves a fiery woman named Kate.

Below, find out everything else we know about Bridgerton's second season, including when we predict it will land on Netflix.

Season 2 of Bridgerton will begin filming in the spring of 2021—but we don't know a release date.

According to an official press release from Netflix, the series will resume production later this year. That said, there's no official premiere date. Fingers are crossed for another Christmas present from Netflix.

Anthony's love life will be the focus of season 2—just like the finale predicted.

According to creator Van Dusen, Anthony—rake supreme—will be tamed by love in the second season of Bridgerton. For observant audience members, this comes as no surprise. The clue about Anthony's future was embedded into Bridgerton's season 1 finale.

Right after Daphne gives birth to her and Simon's son in the season 1 finale, the camera pans over to focus on a bee on the windowsill. Fans of the novels know that bees are particularly significant in the second book of Quinn's series, The Viscount Who Loved Me, which focuses on Anthony. We'll save you the details because the novel is a must-read, but in the end, a bee is the very thing that cements his fate with his soul mate, Kate Sheffield.

The casting for Kate, Anthony's love interest, is official.

After the news was leaked by observant fans, Netflix announced on February 15 that actress Simone Ashley will play Kate Sharma, a slight name change from the book character she's based on, Kate Sheffield. Some may recognize the the 25-year-old from the streaming service's popular coming-of-age show, Sex Education.

Think of Kate as the Simon Basset for season 2 of Bridgerton, who steals a Bridgerton sibling's heart. She's a fan favorite among Quinn's readers for good reason. Not only is she the reason why a bee has become the series's unofficial mascot, but she provides a sexy and ridiculously fun romance with Anthony. The witty, head strong Kate is described as the "most meddlesome woman to ever grace a London ballroom" and a "spirited schemer" in the official description of The Viscount Who Loved Me. Further, unlike many women, Kate is (at first) resistant to Anthony's charms. And we can't forget her rotund and precocious Corgi, Winston, who provides instances of comic relief, in addition to a rather dramatic carriage crash we hope to see play out in the show.

The duo meets in the messiest of ways. Anthony attempts to court Kate's beautiful and perfectly pleasant half-sister, Edwina—who has yet to be cast. (It's all very Taming of the Shrew, but with a Regency romance twist.) Kate is as loyal to her family as Anthony is to his, making their undeniable connection even more complicated.

To put it mildly, Bridgerton fans are incredibly pleased by Ashley's casting.

The rest of the cast, including Regé-Jean Page, will return.

According to the press release, “the incomparable cast of Bridgerton" will return for season 2. However, some characters may step to the background as others—like Anthony Bridgerton—take center stage. For example, Simon and Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) will no longer be the leading man and lady, but loved-up new parents.

"I think there are a lot of good stories to be told in this world," Page tells OprahMag.com of the show. "There’s a plethora of characters and each of those characters has cousins, uncles, and dogs, and I think people enjoy exploring all of those depths and nooks and crannies."

Golda Rosheuvel, who plays Queen Charlotte, is also hopeful about an expanded storyline in the future for her character. "I love the scenes with her husband King George, and I think it would be really interesting for a high status couple to investigate mental health," she says. "And I'd love her to get involved with Eloise in finding out who Whistledown is. I love those two becoming FBI detectives."

Future seasons will likely follow other Bridgerton siblings.

There are eight books in Quinn's series, with each following a romance of an individual Bridgerton sibling as the rest fall to the background after marrying. Van Dusen tells us it's his hope to follow that same pattern, explaining that storylines like the troubled Marina Thompson's (Ruby Barker) are purposefully left open-ended to leave room to explore later on and "expand on the books."

"I'd love to be able to tell Eloise's story and Collin's story," Van Dusen says. "[But] I want to explore the stories for all the characters, not just the Bridgertons. From the Featheringtons, who are amazing and so fun to write, to Lady Danbury's stories, and Queen Charlotte's."

Quinn has thoughts on the refreshing format as well. "Usually you either have one true ensemble cast, or you have a cast where the main characters stay the main characters all the way. Whereas this is a little bit different, which I think will be fun for people. And I think because of that it really mimics the experience of reading a romance novel," she says.

So, whose stories aren't finished yet on Bridgerton?

We'll give you a quick rundown on what's still up in the air for some of our favorite Bridgerton characters:

Anthony Bridgerton

He needs to find love after getting his heart broken by Siena, and the season 2 announcement guarantees that it's just around the corner.

Lady Whistledown

We won't spoil her identity here (but we'll do it here). We'd love to know how on earth they became the most esteemed anonymous gossip amongst "the Ton." What is the motivation and how do they afford those newspaper circulation costs?

Marina Thompson

Poor Marina had arguably the worst London season of them all: hiding a pregnancy, attempting to get rid of said pregnancy, tricking a Bridgerton into falling for her, learning her lover died in battle, and agreeing to marry his younger brother to avoid ruin. We just hope she gets a break. (But via the book, her future is bleak).

Penelope Featherington

Penelope (Derry Girls' Nicola Coughlan) clearly has a thing for Collin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), but if the show follows her book storyline then, spoiler alert she'll end up with him soon enough.

Queen Charlotte

We just want more of the fabulous queen—who was inspired by a real royal—and her amazing wigs.

Eloise Bridgerton

Eloise (Claudia Jessie) is independent, stubborn, and completely uninterested in finding a husband—but will she stay that way? If a potential future season follows her book, To Sir Philip, With Love, a romance is definitely in her future—but not before she spends a few years as a spinster. And after Queen Charlotte, she's the most motivated to uncover the identity of Lady Whistledown. We can't wait to see the look on her face when she figures it out.

You can read each Bridgerton book in the meantime.

As we await more news about what's to come for Bridgerton season 2, Quinn has written eight books worth of content to hold you over. And, they let us in on our favorite characters' happy endings.

For more ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter!

You Might Also Like

• A Cleaning Expert Explains the Best Way to Clean Cloth Face Masks After You Wear Them — Good Housekeeping

• 35 Delicious Pantry Recipes That Use What's Already in Your Cabinets and Freezer — Good Housekeeping

• The Amish keep to themselves. And they’re hiding a horrifying secret. — Cosmopolitan