Bridgerton Spinoff Coming From Shonda Rhimes

A Young Queen Charlotte Bridgerton spinoff is in the works from original series creator Shonda Rhimes. Jess Brownell will take over as season 3 & 4 showrunner.

The news comes shortly after it was announced Bridgerton was getting renewed for three more seasons. The series will be a prequel limited series that will focus on the origin of Queen Charlotte. The series creator Rhimes will script the spinoff.

As noted above, Jess Brownell, who worked on the first and second season of Bridgerton, has been named the official showrunner for seasons 3 and 4. Netflix’s period drama with a modern twist has been a complete hit having drawn in a whopping 82 million households in just 4 weeks. Brownell will take over as showrunner from season 1 and 2 showrunner, Chris Van Dusen.

The Queen Charlotte limited series will center on the rise and love life of a young Queen Charlotte, the reimagined character added to the Bridgerton series. The series being adapted from from Julia Quinn‘s novels, did not feature the character, but she has become a fan favorite in the series. The spinoff will also tell the stories of young Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury. Rhimes will write the series and serve as executive producer alongside Betsy Beers and Tom Verica.

“As we continue to expand the world of Bridgerton, we now have the opportunity to devote even more of the Shondaland fold to the Bridgerton-verse,” Shondaland CEO Rhimes said. “We’ve worked with Jess Brownell for over a decade and have long wanted to find the right project to place in her hands. When it came time to pass the baton, I knew this unique voice was vital to the future of the show.”

”With Bridgerton, I set out to make the period show I always wanted to see. I never could’ve anticipated how much the rest of the world also wanted to see it,” Van Dusen said. “I’m deeply proud of this remarkable cast and incredible crew, and I’m so grateful for the enduring support of Shonda, who I’ve worked alongside for 17 years. Shondaland is where I learned how to make TV, craft incredibly complex characters and how to tell stories. And while it’s been an incredible journey, I have my sights set on a few new stories to tell. To that end, I’ll continue as showrunner — writing and producing season two of Bridgerton  and look forward to seeing Jess continue the magic in seasons three and four. I’d also like to thank Julia Quinn and her passionate fans — for embracing my vision for bringing these beloved books to the screen. See you in Grosvenor Square!”

With the Bridgerton universe expanding and Rhimes, Brownell, and Dusen all working on their respective projects, Bridgerton should look to expand and quickly. As season 2 of Bridgerton continues production in the UK, which will follow Anthony Bridgerton’s journey for love, we certainly have plenty to look forward to from this breakout series.