Bridgerton Gets Its First Spin-Off With Untitled Queen Charlotte Prequel
The success of "Bridgerton", Netflix's Regency romance series, proves that everyone loves drama. For two seasons, the show has been host to courtly intrigue, icy-cold conversations, and steamy romance. And what causes more drama of the rich and powerful flavor than royalty?
Netflix and Shondaland have announced a new prequel series currently in the works. The untitled show is covering the rise of Queen Charlotte, detailing how she came to be married to King George III. While the real Queen Charlotte was historically white, the show's iteration is half-Black, based on speculation from some scholars. That choice kicks off the alternate history of the show, which features a more blended racial makeup compared to the actual Regency era of England.
It seems the prequel will dive into the shift that led to that more modern iteration of the English courtly scene. The logline says the limited series will show how "the young Queen's marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton." So it's not just romantic drama this time around!
Who's in the untitled Queen Charlotte series?
Queen Charlotte has made appearances in previous episodes on both seasons of "Bridgerton," portrayed by actress Golda Rosheuval. She will be returning for the prequel show, likely in framing sequences. She'll be joined by Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Agatha Danbury, and Ruth Gemmell, who plays the matriarch of the eponymous family, Lady Violet Bridgerton. Actor James Fleet has briefly guest-starred as King George III but does not seem to be reprising his role.
The new cast for the limited series will be led by India Amarteifio from the BBC's "Line of Duty" police drama as the young Queen Charlotte. "Betrothed to the mysterious King of England against her will, Charlotte arrives in London only to realize she was not exactly what the royals were expecting," reads Netflix's synopsis of the character. She will be joined by relatively new face Corey Mylchreest as a young King George III. Mylchreest has an undisclosed role in the upcoming "Sandman" Netflix series.
Michelle Fairley ("Gangs of London") will play Princess Augusta, the Dowager Princess and mother of King George. She'll be attempting to keep her son in power as Britain changes around them. The final major character will be actress Arsema Thomas in her television debut, portraying a young Agatha Danbury. Fans will likely enjoy seeing Agatha rise and become the wonderfully-spicy Lady Danbury of the first two seasons of "Bridgerton".
Hugh Saches reprises his role as Brimsley from the first two seasons, while Sam Clemmett ("Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — West End") will play his younger counterpart. Richard Cunningham, fresh off "The Witcher," will play Lord Bute, while Tunji Kasim ("Nancy Drew") plays Adolphus, Rob Maloney ("Casualty") plays the Royal Doctor, Cyril Nri ("Cucumber") plays Lord Danbury.
When can we expect to see the show?
Shonda Rhimes is pulling triple duty as showrunner, executive producer, and writer of the series. Shondaland's Betsy Beers will executive producer and Tom Verica is stepping in to direct and executive produce. Verica has previously directed episodes of "Bridgerton" and "Inventing Anna" for Shondaland.
"Bridgerton," based on Julia Quinn's novel series, has been a huge success for Netflix. Two seasons have aired to date, with season 2 premiering on Netflix on March 25, 2022, and Netflix has already greenlit seasons three and four. Overall, the team behind the show has an eight-season plan for the entire story, though it's unclear if the spin-off factors into those plans. No release date was given for the spin-off, but we'll certainly be getting images of the new cast in their finest Regency grab very soon!