In a nutshell:
The second season of Shondaland’s blockbuster Netflix series, adapted from Julia Quinn’s bestselling romance novels set in the Regency period. The courtship in season two will centre on Daphne’s brother Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), and Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma.
When is the release date for Bridgerton Season 2?
Netflix will drop the second instalment of the franchise on 25 March 2022.
Is there a trailer for Bridgerton Season 2?
Yes! On Valentine’s Day – of course – the first official teaser trailer for the second season was released, and it suggests Bridgerton still contains all of the lavish ballroom scenes (and bedroom scenes) and empire-line dresses you could hope for. Before that, fans were treated to a short first look at Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley sparring in character, released on 25 September 2021.
Then, on 9 March, a full trailer followed. It features Simone Ashley as Kate and Charithra Chandran as her younger sister Edwina as they are presented to the Queen, just as Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) loudly proclaims that this is the season the Viscount (Jonathan Bailey) intends to find a wife. Cue a flood of eager debutantes, shots of grand country houses, aggressive croquet matches and a scene that nods to a certain sequence in the beloved BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice involving a sodden Colin Firth. Watch it in full below.
Is Simone Ashley joining the cast for Bridgerton Season 2?
Yes, the biggest casting news was that Simone Ashley – aka Olivia Hanan on Netflix’s Sex Education – will appear as Anthony’s romantic sparring partner, Kate Sharma. (Can you imagine what Dr Jean F Milburn would have to say to the Ton’s sexually repressed inhabitants?). Originally named Katharine Sheffield in Julia Quinn’s novels, Ashley’s character has been reimagined for the Netflix adaptation, with Kate and her family being of Indian descent.
Is Daphne in Season 2 of Bridgerton?
As you might expect given the title of the series, all of the Bridgertons will appear in the next season, including Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor). “Daphne will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer – more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear,” Netflix-as-Lady-Whistledown confirmed.
Which other cast members will return for Bridgerton Season 2?
Given that the first season ended on a cliffhanger for the Featheringtons – namely, who now owns their estate – it’s reasonable to assume that Lady Featherington and her brood will also feature heavily, with Lady Whistledown keeping the Ton in check.
Who else will join the cast for Bridgerton Season 2?
Charithra Chandran will play Kate’s sister Edwina, who longs for a romantic match, and Shelley Conn will star as Sharma matriarch Lady Mary, whose marriage once scandalised polite society. Rupert Young, on the other hand, will take a turn as Jack, an aristocrat who’s newly arrived in London and has connections to some of its most prominent families, and Calam Lynch will play working-class printer’s assistant Theo Sharpe, who has some refreshingly liberal political ideas.
What hints are there about Bridgerton Season 2 in the original series?
One word: bees. Jonathan Bailey, who stars as Anthony, also gave British Vogue a sense of what to expect. “I feel like the campy, plush spectacle of the Bridgerton world is only going to get more pronounced in the best way possible. It’s mad, and it’s brilliant. There are also going to be a lot of brilliant characters introduced in this series – and it’s not just Anthony that we’re going to delve into… The robust universe that’s been set up by Shonda and Chris will just expand, and keep pushing boundaries in a way that’s quietly subversive. There’s just going to be more of what everyone loves, I think. There’s loads of little Easter Eggs for all of the characters.”
Is Bridgerton Season 2 based on a book?
While the first series pulls heavily from Julia Quinn’s novel The Duke And I, the second will be inspired by The Viscount Who Loved Me, which centres on Anthony’s quest to find a wife during the 1814 season. Like his sister Daphne, his journey to the altar is convoluted. More specifically, after the notoriously rakish bachelor proposes to the “diamond” of the season, Edwina, he finds himself at odds with her disapproving, wilful sister Katharine, until their verbal sparring turns into a mutual attraction. Cue sparks flying, bosoms heaving, and yet more bees.
Is the Duke of Hastings in Bridgerton Season 2?
For those who have failed to read their Lady Whistledown dispatches, the Duke of Hastings will be noticeably absent from season two of Bridgerton. Netflix posted a wisteria-framed Instagram notice on 2 April that read: “While all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings. We’ll miss Simon’s presence on-screen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family.” This proved almost too much to bear for much of the internet, with Rhimes herself even weighing in on the intensity of fans’ devastation. “I was really shocked, because usually that happens when I’ve killed off somebody that’s been around for a while,” the TV genius told Vanity Fair. “Like, we didn’t kill him, he’s still alive… We gave them their happily ever after! And now we have this next couple coming.”
What do we know so far about Season 3 and 4 of Bridgerton?
In a surprise announcement on 13 April, Netflix confirmed that Bridgerton will get a third and fourth series. “Esteemed members of the Ton, it seems we have a rather special announcement. Bridgerton shall return for seasons three and four. This author shall have to purchase more ink…”
Given that each season of Bridgerton will apparently correspond to one of Julia Quinn’s novels, it’s fair to assume that season three will be based on An Offer from a Gentleman, which sees Benedict fall for Sophie Beckett, the daughter of an earl who’s forced to work as a housemaid by her peculiarly vicious stepmother.
Season four, on the other hand, will be inspired by Romancing Mr Bridgerton, and chronicles Colin’s relationship with Penelope Featherington as he returns to the Ton after his European travels.
How many seasons of Bridgerton will there be in total?
God and Shonda Rhimes willing, there will be eight series to correspond with the eight novels – each of which chronicles a different sibling’s romantic misadventures. As a reminder, those siblings in order of birth are: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. “The concept is that every season, there’s a couple and that couple is the hot couple that you’re falling in love with, right?” Rhimes told Vanity Fair. “And there are eight Bridgertons. So by the time you get to Hyacinth – oh, dear God, she’ll be grown up by then, obviously we’re not going to match up a child! – we’ll grow Hyacinth up and you’ll see her story, too.”
Is there a Queen Charlotte Bridgerton spin-off planned?
A prequel devoted to the early years of Queen Charlotte’s utterly surreal life is due to commence production in 2022, taking a deep-dive into her journey to the British throne. Excitingly, Shonda Rhimes will serve as the main writer for the drama.
Will there be any more Bridgerton spin-offs?
While there’s no word on whether any other characters will receive their own spin-off show, you can certainly expect to experience much more Bridgerton outside of the series, with virtual reality experiences, video games and in-person events planned.
Where is Bridgerton filmed in the UK?
In spite of being set in London, much of Bridgerton is filmed in Bath, whose Regency streets have appeared in period dramas ranging from Vanity Fair to The Duchess in recent years. The Royal Crescent, designed by architect John Wood between 1767 and 1774, is reimagined as Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square, while the Bath Assembly Rooms, the Holburne Museum, and Abbey Green also feature in key scenes. In terms of stately homes, Hatfield House in Hertfordshire – where scenes for The Crown have also been filmed – provides the backdrop for many of the drama’s interior scenes, while Castle Howard in York and Wilton House in Salisbury stood in for the Duke and Duchess of Hastings’s home of Clyvedon Castle in season one. Hampton Court Palace and Lancaster House, meanwhile, represented Queen Charlotte’s Palace, and Ranger’s House in Greenwich serves as the home of the Bridgerton clan.
