A new love story is officially about to blossom from The Ton. Netflix announced last month that its megahit regency series, Bridgerton, would next follow the family’s middle daughter, Francesca (Hannah Dodd), as she re-enters the marriage market in search of a new partner after the tragic death of her husband John, only to have her practical intentions complicated when his cousin, Michaela (Masali Baduza), returns to London. Like her siblings’ experiences, it promises another extraordinary romance that will see her navigate her complex feelings and ultimately decide whether or not to choose to pursue her passions or to be pragmatic. Filming is currently underway in the U.K. to get their relationship from the pages of Julia Quinn‘s novels to the screen with haste, and now the rest of the cast is coming together.
The streaming service announced a few of the key players who will play pivotal roles in Francesca and Michaela’s swoon-worthy tale. Two stars from Guy Ritchie‘s Paramount+ crime drama MobLand, Tega Alexander and Gemma Knight Jones, are both set to carve themselves a spot out in the Ton this time around, alongside Carnival Row alum Jacqueline Boatswain. The former two are set to play Christopher Anderson and Lady Elizabeth Ashworth, respectively, while Boatswain will play the pivotal role of Michaela’s mother, Helen Stirling. For Alexander and Boatswain, this will also be just their latest stint at Netflix after previously appearing in another of the streamer’s major adaptations, The Sandman.
Christopher is described as a Casanova and a bit of an opportunist in the high society of London, who’s capable of challenging even the Bridgerton bachelors. He’s determined to leave a mark on this world, perhaps by courting Francesca, assuming his self-doubt doesn’t lead to his unraveling. On the contrary, Ashworth will be a valuable friend to Michaela, acting as her confidante and guide through London with a wisdom of how high society operates. Boatswain’s Helen will also be there to help guide her daughter, though she’s just as capable of giving her a push when needed to get out there in London’s social season. She’ll be the pillar for Michaela to lean on as she navigates the Ton and her relationship with Francesca, offering the spirit and tough love only a mother could give.
‘Bridgerton’ Is Still Riding High Coming Off Season 4
Unsurprisingly, Season 4 was another rousing success for Bridgerton, getting viewers buzzing and tuning in across both parts earlier this year. In the first four days of release, Episode 5 alone saw 5.6 million households tuning in to see how the rest of Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) love story played out, and both parts dominated Netflix’s top ten charts. Collider’s Carly Lane gave Part 2 a 7/10 in her review, offering high praise to the push-and-pull dynamic of the core couple and how they ultimately work out what their future holds, and hailed it for featuring “one of the series’ darkest turns yet,” despite its flaws. Needless to say, the Shonda Rhimes-produced giant isn’t slowing down any time soon as it next looks to bring When He Was Wicked to life.
Bridgerton Season 5 is currently in production in the U.K.
via Collider