Netflix has ordered a limited series about the Bridgerton matriarch’s early life and romance.
The Bridgerton universe is getting bigger. Netflix and Shondaland announced on Thursday, October 8, a new limited series about the early life of Lady Violet Bridgerton, the matriarch of the family at the heart of the hit period drama.
The untitled show will follow a younger Violet and her romance with Viscount Edmund Bridgerton. Edmund has appeared only in flashbacks in the main series, where his early death shapes the family’s story long before the first season begins.
The new project will take a similar approach to Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, the prequel that explored the young queen’s rise and marriage, ABC News reported.
Shonda Rhimes to Write Lady Violet Bridgerton Spinoff
Shonda Rhimes will write the series and serve as executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Nicholas Nardini. Tom Verica will direct and executive produce, with Betsy Beers also on board as an executive producer.
Rhimes and Verica worked together on Queen Charlotte, which Rhimes wrote and Verica directed. That series followed young Queen Charlotte, played by India Amarteifio, and King George III, played by Corey Mylchreest.
Casting for the young Lady Violet has not been announced. Ruth Gemmell has played the character across all four seasons of the main show. Netflix has not shared a release date or episode count for the spinoff.
Bridgerton Season 5 Filming With Francesca in the Spotlight
The main series is moving ahead at the same time. Bridgerton Season 5 is filming in London and will run for eight episodes.
The new season centers on Francesca Bridgerton, played by Hannah Dodd. Two years after the death of her husband John, Francesca decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons. Her plans become complicated when John’s cousin Michaela Stirling, played by Masali Baduza, returns to London.
It is the first season of the show to center on a same-sex couple. Jess Brownell continues as showrunner. Season 5 is slated for 2027, and Season 6 will focus on Eloise Bridgerton, played by Claudia Jessie, according to TVLine.
Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling novels about the eight Bridgerton siblings. Seasons one through four and Queen Charlotte are streaming on Netflix.
