Your lowdown on everything known about Bridgerton season 4 ahead of its release early next year.
Bridgerton will officially return for its fourth season in 2026 (expected early in the year), chronicling the love life of the family’s eldest sibling, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). Ahead of the new season, we’ve compiled everything you need to know, including all the latest updates and first looks.
Based on Julia Quinn’s beloved novels and adapted by Shonda Rhimes’ production Shondaland, Bridgerton has quickly become one of the most successful Netflix Originals. With over a billion hours consumed since its debut, which equates to over a hundred million views, Bridgerton is among Netflix’s most elite and most-watched shows. It also holds a significant feat, being the only title to occupy three spots on Netflix’s all-time most-watched TV list.
Jess Brownell replaced Chris Van Dusen as the showrunner of season 3 and will continue as the showrunner in season 4. Meanwhile, Van Dausen remains as an executive producer.
In May 2025, Netflix released a first-look teaser for season 4, offering a sneak peek at the masquerade ball — one of the most pivotal moments of the season. Take a look:
Bridgerton Season 4 wrapped filming on June 20, 2025, and is currently in post-production. The season consists of 8 episodes. Netflix has not set a release date yet, but the streamer has officially confirmed that the new season is set to debut in 2026. Although no specific release date has been announced, we estimate that it may align with Valentine’s Day 2026. Several book tie-ins are set to release in January that support this line of thinking. Of course, we could also see the series return to its split-season format.
The 2026 confirmation was announced alongside a new poster, featuring the Lady in Silver herself, Sophie Beckett (Yerin Ha):
Who has been cast in Bridgerton Season 4?
The main addition to the cast in season 4 is Yerin Ha as Sophie Beckett, the love interest of Benedict Bridgerton.
Another key addition is Susan Brown as Mrs Crabtree. Old and wise, Mrs. Crabtree is the housekeeper in Benedict’s Wiltshire residence, My Cottage. When she hears about his budding relationship with Sophie, she and her husband, Mr. Crabtree, help nurture their relationship despite the social challenges that arise.
Other confirmed cast members include:
Katie Leung as Lady Araminta Gun
Francesca Lara Gordon as Virginia (as a guest appearance)
Fiona Marr as Irma
Simon Ludders as Humboldt
Hersha Verity as Lady Dillingham
Adam Hashmi as Lord Adams
Karl James-Wilson as Constable Turner
James Vaughan as Dr Lewiston
Fred Woodley Evans as Hendricks
Alejandra Deane as Miss Alvarez
What is the plot of Bridgerton Season 4?
Looking ahead to season 4, the upcoming episodes adapt An Offer from a Gentleman, the third novel in Julia Quinn’s series. It chronicles the love life of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), the second-oldest son of the family. Benedict is the most laid-back of all his siblings, and he’s certainly not in any rush to enter a relationship. However, during a masquerade ball, Benedict runs into the ‘Lady in Silver’ Sophie Beckett (Yerin Ha) — the illegitimate daughter of an earl who is raised by her cruel stepmother –and they pursue an unlikely relationship. The story is narratively similar to Cinderella.
Bridgerton season 5 begins filming in 2026
Looking ahead to season 5, the series will likely cover Eloise Bridgerton’s story, as told in the novel To Sir Phillip, With Love. In the novel, Eloise begins corresponding with Sir Phillip Crane, a widowed father of two. After exchanging letters more and more regularly, there eventually comes a marriage proposal, and Eloise runs away to meet him. The story focuses on distance relationships and how their dynamic develops when they eventually meet face-to-face.
We have recently learned that Bridgerton season 5 will begin filming in Spring 2026. While we don’t know how long the production will last, Bridgerton usually takes a while to complete, usually around eight months. Season 1 filmed July 2019 to February 2020; season 2 filmed March to November 2021; and season 3 filmed July 2022 to March 2023. A lengthy production cycle shouldn’t be overly surprising given how grand the series is. According to some reports, the budget for each season is approximately $80 million or more.
Season 5 is once again due to be filmed in the United Kingdom.
What’s more, once shooting wraps, post-production is equally time-consuming. Look no further than previous seasons, in which season 1 took 10 months to air after wrapping, season 2 took 4 months, and season 3 took an enormous 14 months. For a rough estimate, this puts the season 5 release date in the Spring 2027 range, but don’t be surprised if it’s later. Beyond that, season 6 is also officially on the way. Suffice to say, Bridgerton has a good few years left on our screens — and that’s without mentioning potential spinoffs. Shonda Rhimes has suggested the series could run up to eight seasons in total.
Which season are you most excited about? Benedict’s story in season 4, or Eloise’s tale making up season 5? Tell us in the comments down below
