Dearest gentle readers, Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza are set to lead the next season of Bridgerton, now in production.
Netflix confirmed on Tuesday that Dodd’s Francesca Bridgerton will be the next sibling to find true love in the adaptation of Julia Quinn’s bestsellers.
In season four of the hit series, which premiered in two parts earlier this year, Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha took the helm as Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek. They fell in love despite Sophie’s position in society, while she was working as a maid.
It was also in that season that we saw the death of Francesca’s new husband, John (Victor Alli), setting the show up to focus on the blossoming romance between Francesca and John’s cousin, Michaela (gender-swapped from Michael in Quinn’s books).
“A certain countess shall find love again…,” said Netflix on X. “Bridgerton season five is now in production. Starring Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton and Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling.” Another post added: “FRANCHAELA RISING” with new photos of the actresses.
Bridgerton has been an immensely successful franchise for the streaming giant, having accrued hundreds of millions of views over the course of its four-season run so far. The first instalment saw Rege-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor fall in love as Simon and Daphne Bridgerton, followed by season two’s Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley, and then Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan in season three.
Fans have been speculating over who might be the next Bridgerton sibling to lead the show, with some suggesting it could be Claudia Jessie’s Eloise.
