It has been confirmed that the third season of Netflix and Shondaland’s Bridgerton will focus on the relationship between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.
This will mark the first time the show has deviated from the order established in the book series by Julia Quinn, as Colin and Penelope’s story is the fourth book in the series, Romancing Mr Bridgerton.
The news was first announced by Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope, during an appearance at the FYSEE event in New York. This was quickly followed up by the Bridgerton Twitter account with a special paper from Lady Whistledown.
In an interview with Variety, new showrunner Jess Bronwell explained the decision to skip ahead, saying “I really feel like it’s Colin and Penelope’s time. I feel like, especially in the last season, there are these moments of tension between them where it’s like, Colin walks up to the line of almost realizing that Penelope has feelings for him but doesn’t quite get there. It really felt like the perfect moment to tee it up”
Along with the story change, there will also be a change in the Bridgerton family as Ruby Stokes, who plays Francesca Bridgerton, has left the show to take on a lead role on another Netflix series, Lockwood & Co., a detective thriller series based on the novels by Jonathan Stroud. Hannah Dodd, best known for her roles in Find Me In Paris and Anatomy of a Scandal will be taking on the role of Francesca in the upcoming season.
Bridgerton seasons 1 & 2 are available now on Netflix. Season 3 is currently in pre-production and a release date is yet to be confirmed.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
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