Bridgerton season 3 is getting closer every day! Here's everything we know so far about the new season

We might still have a few months to wait before the new season of Bridgerton arrives on Netflix, but the new season is getting closer and closer with each passing day! Soon, we'll get to see Colin and Penelope's love story play out in the new season and our anticipation for season 3 just keeps growing as Netflix continues to drop more exciting teases about the third season.

While we're still waiting for Netflix to debut the official trailer for the season, Netflix has been generous in giving fans glimpses at the new season and the cast has begun teasing what's to come. In other words, although we won't see the new season begin until May, there is a lot to get fans excited about the season ahead.

As we countdown to Bridgerton's return, we're breaking down everything we know so far about the new season!

Bridgerton season 3 is coming this summer

Although fans had been holding onto hope that season 3 would arrive in late 2023 or even early 2024, a leak on Dec. 11, 2023, revealed that not only will we be waiting until nearly summer 2024, but the eight-episode season will be split into two parts.

On Dec. 12, 2023, one day after the release date leak, Netflix revealed the official date announcement and confirmed the two-part release date for May and June 2024. The first part of season 3 drops on Thursday, May 16, 2024 and will consist of four episodes, while the second part drops on Thursday, June 13, 2024, and will consist of the last four episodes. Watch the announcement below!

Considering that the last time Netflix released new episodes of Bridgerton was in March 2022, fans obviously won’t be too pleased that there’s still a fair amount of waiting to do until season 3 arrives almost halfway into 2024. But on the bright side, there’s now an official release date set and there’s no more waiting for the date. It even arrived before Christmas!

According to previous leaks and rumors, Bridgerton season 3 was coming on Dec. 14, 2023. Of course, this was not confirmed, and for a while, we thought it might be the date. Check out a screenshot of one of the deleted posts here. Adjoa Andoh commented soon after that the season wouldn’t be released until 2024, and she was right.

Bridgerton season 3 episodes were revealed on Valentine's Day 2024!

On Valentine's Day, Netflix surprised fans by debuting the episode titles for season 3's eight episodes which are full of Easter eggs! Let's take a look at the titles of this season's episodes:

Episode 301: Out of the Shadows.
Episode 302: How Bright the Moon.
Episode 303: Forces of Nature.
Episode 304: Old Friends.
Episode 305: Tick Tock.
Episode 306: Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
Episode 307: Joining of Hands.
Episode 308: Into the Light.

Episode 6 is sure to stand out to fans of the books as Romancing Mister Bridgerton is the name of the book in Julia Quinn's series that tells Colin and Penelope's story. Each season has included a nod to the Bridgerton book that inspired the season and we love seeing the trend continue with seasno 3.

Of course, the other episodes for the season also hint at some major moments coming our way and we particularly love how the premiere and finale titles tie together in a clear nod to Penelope's journey this season.

Season 3 reportedly wrapped filming in March 2023

The cast and crew started filming Bridgerton season 3 in July 2022. Netflix shared an announcement video featuring the cast members.

We initially thought Bridgerton season 2 would wrap filming in December 2022, but that didn’t happen. Rumors swirled claiming producer Shonda Rhimes put a pause on production because she was unhappy with some of the storylines, but Netflix denied that gossip. The UK site Metro published snapped photos of the cast filming in Bath, England on Jan. 17, 2023, meaning the show was very much still in production at the start of the year.

While Netflix never officially announced that Bridgerton season 3 finished filming, there have been reports that filming concluded a few months ago. What’s on Netflix shared an image of a sign from Netflix congratulating the cast and crew on finishing filming.

On March 14, stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton both posted a celebratory photo together that fans have assumed was taken during the season 3 wrap party. The pair seemed to be celebrating the culmination of their hard work, and they definitely got Polin fans excited to see the upcoming third season!

Bridgerton season 3 cast

Ahead of Bridgerton season 3’s filming, Netflix announced a number of new cast members. Hannah Dodd will take over the role of Francesca Bridgerton, and three new cast members have been added to season 3: Daniel Francis, Sam Phillips, and James Phoon.

In spite of taking on a new role in a Showtime limited series, Jonathan Bailey will once again return in a series regular capacity as the Viscount Anthony Bridgerton. (His new show won’t interfere with his role on Bridgerton at all!)

We could also see a number of new cast members that were introduced in season 2 return for small roles in season 3, such as Calam Lynch as Eloise’s forbidden love interest Theo Sharpe.

Here’s who we’ll see in the upcoming third season:

• Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
• Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Varley
• Simone Ashley as Kate, Viscountess Bridgerton
• Jonathan Bailey as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton
• Harriet Cains as Philippa Finch
• Bessie Carter as Prudence Featherington
• Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington
• Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton
• Ruth Gemmell as Violet, Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton
• Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton
• Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
• Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
• Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
• Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
• Polly Walker as Portia, Dowager Baroness Featherington
• Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown

Here’s who the new cast members will be playing:

• Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson
• Sam Phillips as Lord Debling
• James Phoon as Harry Dankworth

Worried about Jonathan Bailey, who stars as Anthony Bridgerton, skipping out on Bridgerton season 3? Well, fear not, dear readers, J-Bail will be back as Anthony in season 3, along with Simone Ashley as Kate Bridgerton.

Unfortunately, there are a number of characters who won’t be in season 3.

We will again not see Regé-Jean Page return to the series, and those Duke-recasting rumors don’t appear to have much truth. Page didn’t reprise his roles in the second season because his character isn’t in the books that much.

Unfortunately, Phoebe Dynevor, the talented actress who portrayed Daphne Bridgerton in the first two seasons, has confirmed she’ll be sitting season 3 out. It’s unclear if she’ll ever reprise her role again in a future season, but don’t expect her to be in the new one.

According to Indian Express, Edwina will not return for Bridgerton season 3. Charithra Chandran, who starred in season 2 of the Netflix series, confirmed they will not be returning for the third season. It’s possible that Edwina could return in future seasons, but it’s not happening that soon.

Are Bridgerton stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton dating in real life?

Just like with the previous two seasons, we already know fans are going to become obsessed with the main couple of Bridgerton season 3: Penelope and Colin. And just like fans were desperate to know if actors Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page, as well as Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey, were dating in real life (they weren’t and aren’t) you might be wondering about Coughlan and Newton.

To our knowledge, Coughlan and Newton’s romantic chemistry does not translate off the screen, though they do a great job acting as if it’s real in the show! All of this is to say that no, we do not have any reason to believe the two actors are dating in real life.

At this time, we believe both actors are single. But despite being platonic in real life, we know they are definitely friends! In late June, Coughlan posted a photo of the co-stars together on her Instagram page, congratulating Newton on his gig on stage. The actor starred in a production of The Shape of Things in London, England, and it looks like Coughlan went to see a show!

Fans speculated in the comments section of Coughlan’s post that the two are dating, but we don’t believe that’s the case. We don’t have strong enough evidence at this time, at least.

Which Bridgerton book is season 3 based on?

As previously announced by Shonda Rhimes, Bridgerton will be diverting from book order and skipping over the third book in Julia Quinn’s series. Rather than diving into Benedict’s story in An Offer from a Gentleman, the series will jump to Penelope and Colin’s story in Romancing Mister Bridgerton.

Although some fans of the book series might not prefer the series to skip the book order, it could be for the best storytelling-wise. And considering there are plans to adapt each of the eight books, we don’t have to worry about missing out on anyone’s story just yet.

What will happen next in Bridgerton?

Along with the announcement of the new season starting filming and the arrival of the three new cast members, Netflix also released an official synopsis for season 3:

"From Shondaland and new showrunner, Jess Brownell, Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) 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.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 (Claudia Jessie), 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."

What could happen in season 3 after Queen Charlotte?

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Although Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story was a prequel spinoff, the limited series still incorporated storylines from the current Bridgerton timeline for Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury, and Violet Bridgerton. Those storylines take place shortly after the conclusion of season 2 and could have slight impacts on where these characters go in season 3.

In Queen Charlotte, the titular queen pressures her dozen-plus children to marry and produce an heir to continue her and King George’s family line. While that happens by the end of the six episodes, we’ll be eager to see if we receive any updates on Charlotte’s forthcoming (legitimate) grandchild and heir to the throne.

Likewise, Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton each went on their own personal explorations, with Lady Danbury helping the Bridgerton matriarch realize that she’s ready to move forward with her romantic life after grieving the death of her husband. Violet also learns that back when she was younger, Lady Danbury had a brief relationship with her father. They probably wouldn’t have a huge impact on the season 3 story, but these developments could definitely come back.

During TUDUM, Coughlan also teased some more Kanthony romance and drama in Bridgerton season 3. Here’s what she said to Cat Quinn on the TUDUM red carpet.

"“Married Kate is so beautiful. It’s a whole new side for Kanthony this year. Seeing them married is so cute. It’s adorable. They still have their dynamic, but to see them married, I think the fans are going to freak.”"

Season 3 first look

At Netflix’s TUDUM, Nicola Coughlan appeared on stage in Brazil and shared the first look photos of season 3 with fans! Penelope has a whole new look and we absolutely love it. Check out the pics below and get excited!

Fast-forward to Valentine's Day 2024 and Netflix debuted a first look at the season when it dropped the first minute of the new season which you can watch below!

Will there be a Bridgerton season 4?

We know being patient is hard, but it’s necessary if you’re a Bridgerton fan. As mentioned, Bridgerton is one of Netflix’s biggest shows, and there’s a lot of franchise potential here. Shonda Rhimes is also involved, and she doesn’t make flops.

Bridgerton season 4 is already in the works, but it has not started filming as far as we know! Netflix confirmed both seasons 3 and 4 before season 2 premiered.

We’ll likely learn a lot more about Bridgerton season 4 as we get closer to the release of season 3. But with the ongoing strikes, it’s hard to predict a release window for that one.

There are eight Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn, and Rhimes stated in the past that they have a plan to make all eight books into seasons of the Netflix series. It’s up to Netflix whether or not that plan actually happens.

So far, there are no public plans for Bridgerton after season 4. Netflix confirmed the series for four seasons, and it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything beyond that.

Depending on how things go in season 3 and season 4, Netflix will decide whether all those seasons will happen. Overall, it looks really good for more Bridgerton seasons on the way soon. Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 rank No. 5 and No. 4, respectively, on the list of the biggest Netflix shows of all time. Netflix isn’t going to cancel this show unless something bad happens.

Bridgerton books in order

Below, we shared the list of Bridgerton books in order. As we know, Netflix is veering a little bit off-book at this point. The order of the books is probably going to be changed for the Netflix original series, but we’ll just have to wait and see how it ends up.

• The Duke & I
• The Viscount Who Loved Me 
• An Offer From a Gentleman 
• Romancing Mister Bridgerton 
• To Sir Phillip, With Love
• When He Was Wicked
• It’s In His Kiss
• On The Way To The Wedding

How to watch Bridgerton

Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix right now all over the world. There are two seasons of the Netflix original series available. You can watch the Bridgerton spinoff, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, on Netflix right now, too. The series premiered in May 2023 and told the origin story of Queen Charlotte and her relationship with King George.

Should you watch Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton?

You certainly can watch Queen Charlotte before watching the first two seasons of Bridgerton on Netflix. But we’d recommend watching the first season and second season before watching Queen Charlotte. You’re not going to miss anything in Bridgerton if you wait to watch Queen Charlotte, but you might not understand Queen Charlotte quite as well if you watch it before Bridgerton.

In any case, you should watch Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton season 3 comes out. There will likely be more of the story explored in season 3.

If you like Bridgerton, you’ll definitely like these Netflix shows:

• Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 
• The Empress 
• Outlander 
• The Crown
• Emily in Paris 

Stay tuned for the latest updates about Bridgerton season 3 and more from Netflix Life. Bridgerton is on our list of the best Netflix shows.