Bridgerton S4's Showrunner Teases “High Stakes” & “Juicy Conflict”

Fans anxiously waited three years for Bridgerton’s third season — also known as the horniest season of the series so far. Now that the third installment is finished, fans are counting down the days until Season 4 comes. And luckily, the Regency romance series is already throwing us some delicious crumbs to pass the time.

Back in the summer of 2024, showrunner Jess Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter that fans should anticipate around a two-year wait. “We’re kind of on a two-year pace, we’re trying to speed up but [it’s] somewhere in that range,” she said, adding it takes a lot of time to make a universally accessible season. “They do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language. The writing takes a very long time as well.”

While that wait might be excruciating, there have been some very promising updates recently. The season officially began production in 2024, with a key new cast member finally being unveiled. And now, a release date has been confirmed. Actually, the new season is getting two premieres.

Here’s everything to know about Bridgerton’s fourth season so far.

Which Bridgerton Sibling Will Lead Season 4?

Fans already had a pretty solid guess about which sibling’s love story would be at the center of Season 4, but Netflix finally confirmed the show’s next suitor in a July 2024 video. As had been widely speculated, it’s time for Benedict to find his true love.

Benedict’s storyline appears in the third book; however, the third season focused on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s slow-burn romance instead. Season 3’s final episodes seemed to tease Benedict would be next by including a subtle reference to how he meets his future love interest.

Meet Sophie Baek

With Benedict as Season 4’s suitor, the next big question was who would be playing Sophie, his romantic partner in the novels. Netflix announced Yerin Ha will be waltzing her way into the ton as the mysterious lady in silver. A few days after she was cast in the fall of 2024, Netflix shared the first photo of Ha with Luke Thompson on set.

The photo came with the update that Season 4 had begun production.

Season 4’s Showrunner Teases “High Stakes”

There are plenty of twists and turns coming in Season 4. Jess Brownell (writer, producer, and showrunner) told Entertainment Weekly to expect “juicy conflict” and “high stakes” in the latest installment of the hit Netflix show.

“We start with a character trope that we've seen a million times before, which is a maid who falls for someone above her station,” she told the outlet on Dec. 16. “But I think a lot of times in these classic Cinderella-like stories, Cinderella is a bit of a damsel in distress. And, in the case of Sophie Baek, she is no such thing. We get to watch a very headstrong young woman try to decide her fate for herself and pick up the courage to believe in and dream for a life greater than the one she currently has.”

According to Brownwell, who was also the showrunner on Season 3, Sophie and Benedict’s romance was “the easiest book to adapt” to TV. “It lent itself really closely to television structure for a love story,” she said. “There are just a lot of rich set pieces that gave us juicy conflict and high stakes. I think fans will be happy to see quite a few of the set pieces from the book in the show.”

In the book, Benedict and Sophie meet at a masked ball. Sophie works as a servant in her stepmother’s house, opening up a new world for the Bridgerton universe. “We talked a lot about going downstairs and how that would affect the overall tone of the show and I think, actually, it seamlessly blends into the themes that we were trying to explore this season,” Brownell added. “Benedict very much lives in a fantasy world. Sophie very much lives in a harsher reality. The idea is that, for each of them, neither of those stations are where they need to live in order to find true love.”

“Benedict needs to be braver about committing and going after what he really wants and believes in. Sophie needs to be courageous in love and courageous about allowing herself to dream,” she continued. “And you can apply that to so many things outside of romantic love — I think all of us could channel a little more courage to be our true selves and go after what we really want in our everyday life.”

The First Photos Are Seriously Swoon-Worthy

On Valentine’s Day 2025, Netflix treated all the lovestruck Bridgerton fans with a first glimpse of Season 4. Along with a short preview clip, the streamer shared the first photos of the season, showing Benedict and Sophie’s first meeting at the masquerade ball.

Other new photos included a look at Penelope and Colin holding their no-longer-newborn baby, and the Featheringtons making their wickedly fashionable entrance at the ball.

There Are More New Cast Members

Sophie isn’t going to be the only new face in the ton. When Season 4’s filming began, the show also revealed three more characters. Katie Leung will play Lady Araminta Gun, Michelle Mao will play Rosamund Li, and Isabella Wei has been cast as Posy Li.

Bridgerton’s Fourth Season Has 2 Premiere Dates

A short teaser for the upcoming season confirmed that it will be released in two batches. Part 1 will premiere on Jan. 26, with Part 2 following less than a month later on Feb. 26.