Bridgerton spinoff to tell the tale of Queen Charlotte

Netflix is more than committed to bringing Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series to life. The streamer announced that they are giving the green light to a new limited series that focuses on the early days of Queen Charlotte, with a few familiar faces mixed in.

THR reports that Shonda Rhimes is writing the scripts for the limited series, expanding the flagship series into new territory with an original story that features the rise of Queen Charlotte and other familiar faces like Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury.

Netflix rep Bela Bajaria is excited about the chance to learn more about the Queen, played  by Golda Rosheuvel, who became a standout character on the show.

“Many viewers had never known the story of Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton brought her to the world, and I’m thrilled this new series will further expand her story and the world of Bridgerton,” she said. “Shonda and her team are thoughtfully building out the Bridgerton universe so they can keep delivering for the fans with the same quality and style they love. And by planning and prepping all the upcoming seasons now, we also hope to keep up a pace that will keep even the most insatiable viewers totally fulfilled.”

The Bridgerton universe keeps expanding on Netflix

There are eight books in Quinn’s Bridgerton series, and each book represents a standalone love story tied to the canon established in the first book, The Duke & I. The Netflix series has been renewed through season 4 (for now) and there is every reason to believe that the series will follow one book per season.

Expansion of the series beyond the eight novels makes perfect sense. It gives Rhimes and her team the ability to plan around cast departures, characters who need more focus and, most importantly, longevity.

Given that books toward the end of the Bridgerton series feature characters who have aged considerably since their appearance in the first book, showrunners will need to recast several roles to advance the characters’ ages. This is highly beneficial, as Bajaria notes, because they can plan for these seasons and even film them at the same time. It’s a win-win for viewers, who won’t have to wait long between seasons.

For Bridgerton fans, there is every reason to be very excited about spinoff news. Queen Charlotte’s story is very important, both historically and within the series’ canon. Being able to explore more stories within the Bridgerton universe allows for more interaction with fan favorite characters while also ensuring that the universe will continue long after the original eight stories have been told.