On Oct. 8, Netflix announced a Bridgerton prequel, expanding the franchise with the newest addition revolving around Violet and Edmund Bridgerton’s story.
In case you’re unaware, Bridgerton is a Netflix original series produced by Shona Rhimes based on the book series written by Julia Quinn, which follows the lives of the Bridgerton siblings, their journeys of finding love, and uncovering the identity of Lady Whistledown, an anonymous writer who somehow knows everyone’s secrets. Think Gossip Girl set in the 1800s.
Bridgerton is set in the Regency era, and each season follows a different sibling. Violet and Edmund are the parents of the Bridgerton family, but Edmund died before their last child was born. There’ve been four seasons of Bridgerton so far, and little by little we’ve learned more about Violet and Edmund’s history, but now we’ll finally get the closer look fans have been waiting for.
This isn’t the first time Netflix has made a Bridgerton prequel. In 2023, they released Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The series follows a dual timeline, focusing on Queen Charlotte’s backstory and arranged marriage to King George, while also showing how their relationship evolved in the present day. Quinn wrote a novel based on the scripts Rhimes gave her, which was published the same week the series was released.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story received lots of praise from fans, so I hope we can anticipate a similar reaction to this new prequel, but Rhimes definitely has a lot to live up to.
What’s Been Announced
We do know this new spinoff will be produced by and available on Netflix, like the rest of the franchise, and written by Rhimes. While there’s no official release date yet, I think it’s safe to say it won’t arrive until after Season 5, which also has no official release date but has already been filmed. Unfortunately, it seems like we’ll have to wait a couple of years for this latest installment.
It has been confirmed, though, that Arsema Thomas, the actress who was part of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, will be in this new series continuing her role as young Lady Danbury. She reposted the announcement on her Instagram story with the caption, “We ride again,” and has confirmed that this means she’ll be returning to the screen.
Fans hope India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreest, who played young Queen Charlotte and King George, will appear, too. No other cast members have been confirmed for this new project, but I’m hoping to see some familiar faces!
My ‘Bridgerton’ Prequel Predictions
Now it’s time for the fun part: predictions. In terms of the plot and production, I think it’ll be a similar concept to Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, where there’s a dual timeline, and it focuses more on the past storyline.
This setup worked well in the first spinoff because we got to find out more about the characters’ past and then see tidbits of how that impacted their futures. I think this would be a smart way to set up the series, and it would also feel similar to the book.
More specifically, I think the story will wrap up during Violet’s first pregnancy, since we’ve already seen how Edmund died in Season 2 of Bridgerton. Instead of repeating this scene, I think they’ll either end the series before Edmund dies or skip over his death and move ahead to how Violet and her children grieve him.
I’m not sure if they would go this route, since by that point, the older children will be more grown up. I’m not confident actors like Johnathan Bailey and Phoebe Dynevor would be a part of this project, either, since they haven’t been included as much in the last few seasons of Bridgerton.
Popular Fancasts
Since there’ve been no official announcements about who will play Violet and Edmund, the internet has been crafting its dream cast. There’s been an overwhelming push for Jonah Hauer-King, who’s known for playing Prince Eric in the 2023 adaptation of The Little Mermaid, to play young Edmund. Hauer-King is definitely my personal pick for the role, and I can see the resemblance between him and Rupert Evans, Edmund’s original actor.
Louis Partridge’s name has also been thrown in the mix. He’s best known for starring in the Enola Holmes movie franchise and the House of Guinness series on Netflix. Even though Partridge has plenty of experience acting in period pieces, I personally can’t see him playing this role. I think he still may be too young, and I’d like to see an actor who hasn’t had as much exposure as he has. As an Olivia Rodrigo fan, though, I could be biased.
My dream actress to play a young Violet would, without a doubt, be Emily Bader. Bader is known for the Netflix original movie People We Meet on Vacation. I was first introduced to her through the now-canceled series My Lady Jane, a romantasy period piece that was released on Prime Video.
I absolutely loved this series and was devastated when I found out it hadn’t been renewed for a second season. I’m still salty. Not only would this be her period-piece redemption, but Bader is a great actress in my opinion and would be perfect for the role.
Then there’s Connie Jenkins-Greig, who played an even younger Violet in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Most people want to see her back in the role in this new series, but there’s some debate about whether she’s still too young for the role.
Whether my predictions come true or not, I’m still excited about this series. If it’s anything like the first spinoff, I know I’ll love it. We’ll finally get to see the love story we’ve all been waiting for and how the Bridgerton family got its start!
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