Bridgerton is getting a spinoff in the form of the Queen Charlotte series. It will dive deeper into the characters we have come to know and love in the main show. Here’s everything we currently know about the Young Charlotte series, which is scheduled to go into production in January 2022.
The new spinoff will serve as a limited series (meaning it’s designed for only one season) for the main Bridgerton series, which has been a huge hit on Netflix. As of September 2021, the series continues to be the most watched Netflix Original show.
On Friday, May 14, Netflix announced an upcoming prequel that will delve into the origin story of the young kingdom. The Queen Charlotte limited series will also feature several familiar characters, namely Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton.
Instead of taking a page from Julia Quinn’s best-selling novel, writer Bridgerton made the creative choice to add a dramatic version of the real-life king (played by Golda Rosheuvel) to the TV adaptation. As such, there is no source of fictional material for the prequel. However, Shonda Rhimes, who wrote and served as executive producer on the as-yet-untitled series, will have the history of the first black king of England possible.
As a prequel, this show will rewind time and guide us through how Queen Charlotte became an iconic character in the original series.
Along with the initial announcement of the spinoff, Netflix’s Bela Bajaria (head of global TV) had the following to say about the new spinoff:
“Many viewers didn’t know the story of Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton brought her into the world, and I’m excited that this new series will further expand her story and the world of Bridgerton.”
In addition to Queen Charlotte, more Bridgerton projects are also in development thanks to an expanded deal with Netflix. Beyond the main series and these new spinoffs, virtual reality experiences, video games, and other face-to-face events have been teased.
Now let’s dig into the details of what we can expect and, perhaps more importantly, when we can see Queen Charlotte’s release on Netflix.
Queen Charlotte Release Date
Production of the limited series will begin in January 2022. although it’s unclear if it will take place at Shepperton Studios on Netflix, it will take place in London. Filming is currently scheduled to end in May 2022, which means that we could see the series on Christmas. but more realistically, a 2023 release date seems most likely.
What To Expect From The Queen Charlotte Spin-off
Here’s the logline for the new prequel series:
“A limited prequel series based on the origins of Queen Charlotte, which will center on the rise and love life of young Charlotte. The spin-off will also tell the story of a young Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury.”
The title of the prequel series hasn’t been fully revealed yet, but all the production sources we’ve seen has a series called Queen Charlotte. Keep in mind that this might just be a temporary title. It’s also worth noting that HBO Max is about to release a show called Queen Charlotte as well.
Lyn Paolo will serve as costume designer on the limited series spin-off. Her work has garnered two Primetime Emmys in the past and can be seen in productions such as Scandal, The West Wing, Little Fires Everywhere, and most recently, the Netflix series Inventing Anna (also produced by Shonda Rhimes).
The Bridgerton book is based on real history, so we can take some hints as to what to expect. Like the excellently compiled NuttyHistory in their video below, Queen Charlotte is a character “weirder than fiction” in real life.
Who Will Be Starring in Queen Charlotte on Netflix?
At this early stage, no cast members were announced. For now, fans are pitching ideas about the actors they’d like to see in key roles. They hope Violet’s late husband, Edmund Bridgerton, would be included in a prequel. actor Ben Barnes has already proven to be a popular suggestion.
Who is Behind the Queen Charlotte Spin-Off?
Shonda Rhimes will serve as the main writer on the show. This is the first time that Shonda has been directly involved in writing as she has only served as an executive producer on the main series.
Betsy Beers and Tom Verica serve as producers on the new spin-off. They have partnered with Rhimes on several projects in the past including Bridgerton as well as non-Netflix projects including Grey’s Anatomy and How To Get Away with Murder.
