Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton – Picture: Netflix
Bridgerton is getting a spin-off in the form of a Queen Charlotte series that will dive deeper into the character we’ve come to know and love in the main show. Here’s a dive into everything currently known about the Young Charlotte series, which is scheduled to get into production in January 2022.
The new spin-off will serve as a limited series (meaning that it’s only designed to be a single season-long) to the main Bridgerton series, which has been a smash hit for Netflix. As of September 2021, the series continues to be the most-watched (of the announced statistics) Netflix Original show. The mothership show for this new spin-off has been renewed through to season 4.
As a prequel, the show will rewind the clock and walk us through how Queen Charlotte became the iconic character in the mothership series.
Alongside the initial announcement of the spin-off, Netflix’s Bela Bajaria (head of global TV) said the following on the new spin-off:
“Many viewers had never known the story of Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton brought her to the world, and I’m thrilled this new series will further expand her story and the world of Bridgerton,”
Beyond just Queen Charlotte, more Bridgerton projects are also in development thanks to an expanded deal with Netflix. Beyond the main series and this new spin-off, virtual reality experiences, a video game, and other in-person events have been teased.
Now let’s dig into the details as to what we can expect and, perhaps more importantly when we could see Queen Charlotte release on Netflix.
Who’s behind Queen Charlotte?
Shonda Rhimes will serve as the main writer on the show. This is the first time Shonda has been directly involved in the writing as she served only as an executive producer on the main series.
Betsy Beers and Tom Verica serve as producers on the new spin-off. They’ve partnered with Rhimes on several projects in the past including Bridgerton itself as well as non-Netflix projects including Grey’s Anatomy and How To Get Away with Murder.
Shonda Rhimes – Picture: Getty Images
What to expect from Queen Charlotte Spin-off
Here’s the logline for the new prequel series:
“A limited prequel series based on the origins of Queen Charlotte, that will center on the rise and love life of a young Charlotte. The spinoff will also tell the stories of 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 list that have the series named Queen Charlotte. It’s worth bearing in mind that this could just be a working title. It’s also worth noting HBO Max is listed to release a show called Queen Charlotte too.
Lyn Paolo will serve as costume designer on the limited series spin-off. Her work has scooped two Primetime Emmys in the past and her work can be seen on productions such as Scandal, The West Wing, Little Fires Everywhere, and most recently, in Netflix’s Inventing Anna series (also produced by Shonda Rhimes).
The book series Bridgerton is based on real history, so we can take some cues as to what we can expect. As NuttyHistory excellently compiled in their video below, Queen Charlotte was a character “who was stranger than fiction” in real life.
Notably, they covered in the video below:
- Charlotte married 6 hours after meeting the king after living in Germany as a Princess.
- How Charlotte was one of the first people to recognize the talent of the young Mozart – could we see this discovery in the prequel?
- Her ancestorial history given that it’s been a rather contentious topic since the show’s release. You can find numerous stories asking the question as to whether Queen Charlotte was the first monarch of color in the UK.
There’s also this excellent news report from WCNC, who are based in Charlotte, North Carolina (a state named after the monarch) who dives into the history of the historical figure.
Who will star in Queen Charlotte on Netflix?
No cast members have been announced thus far.
Given the show rewinds the clock, we don’t yet know if Netflix will be essentially recasting the roles, given they’ll be much younger.
Golda Rosheuvel played the role of Queen Charlotte in the main series, and the two other characters confirmed for the prequel were played in the mothership series by Ruth Gemmell and Adjoa Andoh.
When will filming begin on Queen Charlotte?
Thanks to numerous sources, production on the limited series we’ve learned is due to begin in January 2022. It will take place in London, although it’s not clear whether it’ll be done at Netflix’s Shepperton Studios. Filming is currently scheduled to end in May 2022 meaning that we could see the series land at Christmas but more realistically a 2023 release date seems most likely.
Are you looking forward to the new Queen Charlotte spin-off prequel series for Bridgerton? Let us know in the comments down below.
Note: This article was first published in September 2021 and has been updated to reflect new information.