Shonda Rhimes Has Given a Major Update About the Future of Bridgerton

Bridgerton season four is making non-stop headlines, with the highly-anticipated next instalment set for release in 2026.

The show's fourth season is set to be based on the third novel from Julia Quinn's bestselling collection, An Offer From a Gentleman, with its main focus promising to be Benedict Bridgerton, played by Luke Thompson.

And from new castings and potential royal cameos to first look images and confirmed storylines, the Netflix Regency drama has been front and centre.

This week, showrunner Shonda Rhimes was honoured at the Edinburgh TV Festival. And during her time on stage to receive the prestigious Edinburgh fellowship, she gave a major update about the future of Bridgerton.

When asked by journalist Mishal Husain how many seasons Bridgerton will run for, Rhimes stated: "Exactly eight."

"The Bridgerton series is eight children," she explained. "Violet Bridgerton and all eight of her children married. So every season is a child."

However, the Shondaland founder did add that there is "a possibility for spin-offs", with Quinn writing other books within the Bridgerton universe. And with 2023 prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story ranking among the most popular Netflix shows of all time, there's certainly the audience for it.

"I didn't see it as a romance," Rhimes reflected on her approach to the Bridgerton universe during the Edinburgh TV Festival. "It was more of a workplace drama.

"The women don't have power in other areas of their lives, the power is in how they marry, so it becomes a workplace," she continued. "And that's where the drama is.

"More importantly, I could see myself in them," she went on to add. "If a black woman in 21st century America can see herself in regency England, it's a good story."

A release date for Bridgerton season four has not yet been confirmed, but it is reported to be scheduled for 2026.

We will continue to update this story.