Shonda Rhimes still committed to bringing all eight Bridgerton books to Netflix

Whether you're a Bridgerton fan of the show, the books, or both, rest assured that executive producer and creator Shonda Rhimes is committed to bringing all eight of the main novels to life on screen! In speaking with Variety recently, the news outlet shared "despite how long each season of Bridgerton takes to make — Season 3 is premiering more than two years after Season 2 — Rhimes and her longtime producing partner, Betsy Beers, are committed to bringing all eight of Julia Quinn’s novels to the screen."

Now Netflix has only renewed the show through to season 4, which we're guessing is either going to finally get to Benedict's story after it was skipped this year for Colin and Penelope's, or we might jump to Eloise's next. However after that, the fate of the show hasn't been 100% confirmed by the streamer. Even so, to be honest I'm not worried. Bridgerton has such a huge following and fanbase, brings in so many viewers and money for Netflix, and I really don't see the stories getting dull with great source material and the fact that each season is focused on a different iconic sibling.

Is it possible Netflix and Shondaland will get to a point where they feel like eight seasons is too much and start combining stories? Maybe. But I really don't think that's likely. I mean look at Outlander. The hit historical drama is returning for an eighth and final season on Starz (which will stream on Netflix eventually but not for a while!). Yes, the creative team combined storylines of the books, but it goes to show that eight seasons is not far fetched and a loyal fanbase will remain as eager as ever as time goes on. And I believe Bridgerton definitely fits that bill as well.

Plus if there's anyone who's in it for the long haul, it would definitely be Rhimes. Best known for bringing Grey's Anatomy to life, she served as showrunner and executive producer up until season 17 of the medical drama before moving on to work with Netflix. She's become a true pioneer in the industry and is committed to what she starts. So I think our favorite romantic drama couldn't be in better hands because of that!

While we haven't gotten a chance to really get to know the younger Bridgerton siblings - Francesca, Hyacinth, and Gregory - we've seen glimpses of them in the first two seasons. With the fourth season coming and hopefully more seasons ordered at Netflix soon, the writers can start to plan around that and perhaps give them more screen time to allow for us to connect to the characters.

I mean, actress Hannah Dodd replaced Ruby Stokes as the latter was busy leading Netflix's Lockwood and Co. Plus, Francesca is in a lot of the promotional images and even trailer. So I think we're getting much more about her in Bridgerton season 3. As a reminder, here's the list of Julia Quinn novels in order:

1. The Duke and I (Daphne's story)
2. The Viscount Who Loved Me (Anthony's story)
3. An Offer From a Gentleman (Benedict's story)
4. Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Colin's story)
5. To Sir Phillip, With Love (Eloise's story)
6. When He Was Wicked (Francesca's story)
7. It's in His Kiss (Hyacinth's story)
8. On the Way to the Wedding (Gregory's story)

Bridgerton season 3 sees Penelope fed up with living at home, ready to find herself a husband after hearing Colin's cruel words last season that he'd never marry her. This Featherington is ready to move on and has a new wardrobe to go with it. But when she struggles to interact with the gentlemen of the ton, Colin offers to help her out to earn her forgiveness. This backfires on him because he may start to realize that he's growing his own feelings for Penelope. Plus, it's going to get harder for this author to keep her Lady Whisteldown alter ego a secret. Be sure to tune in to Part 1 starting May 16, 2024, with the final four episodes debuting June 13 on Netflix.