Netflix has finally announced Benedict as the new lead for season four of Bridgerton. Benedict is the marriage-evading and free-spirited second child of the Bridgerton family.
Luke Thompson has been playing Benedict Bridgerton in all three of Bridgertons seasons.
Fans anxiously waited to see which Bridgerton sibling would lead the next season when season 4 was announced. Fans believed that the next story in the series would have been Eloise, Francesca, or Benedict.
Towards the end of season three, Eloise mentions the Masquerade ball before she leaves for Scotland with her sister Francesca and her husband John Stirling to her brother Benedict which foreshadows what’s to come with the series.
Netflix released a teaser trailer that includes Thompson being fitted for a suit for the masquerade ball.
A Modern Take on Julia Quinn’s ‘An Offer from a Gentleman’
The season is on the third Bridgerton series book, “An Offer from a Gentleman”, which offers some clues as to where the next season’s storyline may go. Benedict’s book is the third in Julia Quinn’s beloved series and the show skipped over his story to do Colin and Penelope’s first.
“Benedict’s love story has the ‘love at first sight trope’ which is not my favorite, but as Benedict was barely shown dancing beforehand, it shall leave an impression once he shows his interest. We shall get the Bridgerton version of Cinderella. I believe it will be a more grounded and modern take on Cinderella. Still, I love that they shall not opt to make her tomboyish just because. Sophie is a bastard of the Earl who lived a much harsher life than any other love interest, and it would be interesting to see how it affects the dynamic of the pair, and also the entire Bridgerton family.,”Redditor Anezka Slechticka said.
The book introduces Sophie Beckett as the illegitimate child of the Earl of Penwood and one of his maids. Beckett sneaks into the Bridgerton Masquerade ball and meets Benedict in a Cinderella-inspired moment. Ultimately, she ends up spending the night with Benedict.
However, when the clock strikes midnight, her fairy tale ends when she’s forced to go back to her disdainful stepmother.
Since that night, Benedict has been determined to find the mystery woman he danced with.
Sophie Beckett Casting Still Pending as ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Readies for Filming
Currently, no casting decisions have been announced regarding who may play Sophie Beckett.
The renewing cast would likely return for the new season. Some of them may have limited screen time, based on previous trends.
Hours after season four was announced, “An Offer from a Gentleman” became Amazon’s number one bestselling Regency Romance Kindle book.
Each season of Bridgerton focuses on the love stories of one of the wealthy family’s eight children in Regency-era London.
Filming for the fourth season of Bridgerton will start in mid-September and is expected to run through April 2025.
Showrunner Jess Brownell has expressed that the next season will have an open-minded character committed to exploring himself.
The show has taken some liberties after introducing Benedict as a queer character in season three. Fans were shocked when they got gender-swapping Micheal Stirling from the book to Michela Stirling instead.
Benedict explored his sexuality in the third season with widower Lady Tilly Arnold. He shared steamy scenes with Arnold and a man named Paul Suarez.
Arnold expresses to Benedict that she wants to be serious with him. Benedict tells her that he is not ready to settle down after discovering this new part of himself.
Season 4 Teases Benedict’s Quest for the Lady in Silver
In the next season, Benedict will meet his love interest the Lady in Silver at the Masquerade ball.
“The man who once moved from the corner of the ballroom is about to be the focal point of the marriage market as he searches for a mysterious woman called the Lady in Silver,” Netflix said in its season 4 announcement on Tudum.
Last month, Collider reported that a search is underway at Netflix for a character named “Emily”, who is scripted as East Asian. She will have a major recurring role in the series, suggesting Emily is a codeword for Benedict’s love interest.
“If rumors are true and Sophie will be of east asian heritage, it is positive that Bridgerton is continuing to show representation and allowing people to see themselves represented on screen. Regarding casting, the hope is they stick to the model of not selecting big names for key roles and introducing exceptionally talented but lesser-known actors to a much wider audience. The show itself commands a big audience. By casting actors who have worked for years but not received wider recognition and acclaim, this is a fantastic way to introduce new faces to a wider audience,” Redditor Anna Calsone said.
Production is reportedly scheduled to begin in the fall with Showrunner Jess Brownell saying it could be a two-year wait until season 4.
Benedict Bridgerton has been unmasked as next season's newest suitor. Please scream to celebrate our boy. pic.twitter.com/jE87RYmrfg
— Netflix (@netflix) July 23, 2024
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Brownell revealed that the next season will begin filming with an autumn-like color pallet. A warmer vibe compared to the pastels and spring-like feel of the last three seasons.
Brownell told TVLine that the producers are “aiming for eight seasons”, and “ want every sibling to have their season.”
Shonda Rhimes Plans Eight Seasons for ‘Bridgerton’ Adaptation: Fans Anticipate Casting for Sophie Beckett and Future Storylines
The show’s executive producer is Shonda Rhimes, who created Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Rhimes has said they plan to adapt all eight Bridgerton books into eight seasons for Netflix.
Bridgerton is a series of books by Julia Quinn who has eight books in the series.
Netflix expects Bridgerton to have eight seasons, given that there are eight books in the Bridgerton series. The Regency-era romance is focused on Julia Quinn novels, with each spotlighting a different family sibling.
Who will be playing Sophie Beckett? What will the storyline be after season 3? This will be the one thing on every Bridgerton fan’s mind.
