Bridgerton season 3: Everything we know so far about the Netflix series return as filming starts

 

Bridgerton season 3

Bridgerton season 3 is in production, which means we hopefully will have a short time to wait for more of the Netflix show's steamy romance, beautiful costuming, and sumptuous scenery.  At the moment, there's still no trailer or even a release date, but there's still plenty of information out there to keep you busy while you wait. For one thing, there's a tantalizing synopsis, casting information and an on-set video. 

This season of Bridgerton will skip ahead of Julia Quinn's source material, adapting the fourth book rather than the third. That means Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton will be the stars of the show, with Benedict Bridgerton's love story on the back burner for now. 

We've got the lowdown on Bridgerton season 3 right here, with everything you could possibly need to know ahead of your return for the ton. So, to get up to speed on the next installment in the Regency romance series, look no furth

release date. However, we're one step closer now cameras have officially started rolling on the new season. This was confirmed in a video from Netflix, which showed the majority of cast members back on set. 

To get an idea about when the episodes might make it to Netflix, let's consider previous seasons' schedules. Bridgerton's first season started filming in July 2019, wrapped in late February 2020, and was released in December 2020. The second season started production in March 2021, and only finished filming in November 2021 due to COVID-induced delays to filming. That season was released in March 2022. Essentially, both seasons took nearish a year from filming to release, which could put the Bridgerton season 3 release date in summer 2023.

Bridgerton season 3 plot

(Image credit: NETFLIX)

Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn's series of eight books, following each of the eight siblings as they find love. Though the sensible guess would be that the Bridgerton season 3 plot will tell the story of the third book in the series, new showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed in an interview with Variety(opens in new tab) that season 3 is skipping ahead to book 4 and focusing on Colin and Penelope's love story.

Bridgerton season 2 set up the romantic relationship between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), which forms the premise of the fourth book in the romance series. Their storyline ended in a pretty difficult position in season 2 after Penelope overheard Colin mocking the idea of a romance with her to his friends.

"I really feel like it’s Colin and Penelope’s time. Because we’ve been watching both of these actors on our screens since season 1, we’ve already invested in them a little bit. We know who they are as people," Brownell explained. "Instead of treading water on that dynamic, we wanted to push it into their season. It really felt like the perfect moment to tee it up."

She added: "I think Shonda Rhimes has said publicly before that she wants to have eight seasons. We hope to get to tell every sibling’s love story and they will always be in each season."

Episode 301 is titled Out of the Shadows, and Netflix has released the opening lines: "Dearest gentle reader, We’ve been apart for far too long. At last, London’s smart set has made its return, and so too has this author. As the season begins, the question on everyone’s mind, of course, is, which newly minted debutante will shine the brightest. The crop this year proves to be rather dazzling indeed. Unfortunately, not every young lady can attract the light."

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Alongside the news the show has begun filming, Netflix has also released a juicy synopsis for season 3. Per Entertainment Weekly(opens in new tab), this reads: "Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, 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. But lacking in confidence, Penelope's attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly."

The synopsis continues: "Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he's disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly. Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise, who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope's growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret."

Bridgerton season 3 cast

(Image credit: NETFLIX)

There's been some casting shake-ups in Bridgerton season 3. Netflix has announced Francesca Bridgerton has been recast as original star Ruby Stokes had to leave the show. This came after being cast as the lead in Netflix series Lockwood & Co. She's been replaced by Anatomy of a Scandal and Eternals star Hannah Dodd.

So far, no new cast exits have been confirmed. After Regé-Jean Page left his role as the Duke in the aftermath of season one, many were wondering if this set a new precedent for characters leaving after their main series. Luckily, it seems Bridgerton season 3 will be bucking the curve, with both Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and the bane of his existence Kate Bridgerton (Simone Ashley) set to return.

Speaking to Deadline(opens in new tab), Ashley said: "We’re going to be back!" She continued: "Kate and Anthony are just getting started. 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 towards the end. I think everything is just starting."

Ashley has also hinted more about her and Anthony's journey in the next season. "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," she told Vogue(opens in new tab), adding of her character: "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."

As for Bailey, he's also shared his hopes about what the new season could mean for his character. Speaking to The Wrap(opens in new tab), he said: "I just can’t wait for them to have a baby. Baby Edmund, I think, is the first that’s to come if it’s according to the books, but maybe they’ll have octuplets. Maybe they’ll flip it on its head."

New showrunner Jess Brownell told Variety(opens in new tab) that Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) will be playing a big part in the new season. She also confirmed that we will "definitely be seeing Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor)," though she neglected to say how much.