The author of the eight-book series tells PEOPLE she knows which Bridgerton sibling will take the helm of the Netflix series’ next installment
There’s still so much romance to come from the Bridgerton world.
As fans gear up for the highly-anticipated third season of the Netflix hit series — which sees Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) explore their romantic chemistry at long last — the author of the book series, Julia Quinn, already has her sights set on what story will be hitting the screen next.
“I can’t say a word, I’ll get in so much trouble,” Quinn tells PEOPLE of what story will take the screen next at the New York City premiere on May 13.
She does, however, confirm that she knows who will be at the center of the action in the next iteration: “I do know, but I can’t say yes.”
So far, the first two of Quinn’s eight book series have been adapted by Netflix, with the upcoming third season making a bit of a jump as it skips the third book, An Offer From a Gentleman, which follows Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson), and follows the fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
The decision to switch up the order has left fans wondering whether season 4 will return to Benedict’s story or move on to Eloise’s, who is played by Claudia Jessie, and is told in To Sir Phillip, With Love.
Quinn says that there are technically only “four [seasons] contracted, but Shonda [Rhimes] is saying eight, and she’s the boss.”
As for the upcoming season, part one of which debuts on Netflix May 16, Quinn says, “Obviously it’s the romance, and Nicola and Luke are amazing, but it’s such an ensemble cast and there’s so many little moments with everyone, which I think are just so fabulous.”
The show was renewed for a third and fourth season just four months after its first season debuted, and Rhimes has previously hinted that the order of the storytelling may come as a surprise to viewers. “We’re not necessarily going in order but we are going to be seeing each of the siblings and their stories,” she told Entertainment Tonight after season 2 premiered.
Now, things have been set fairly far into the future, she revealed in an interview with Variety.
“I do have a very specific plan of where we go each season — which one is which. Because you really have to start seeding in the other siblings, and what’s going on with them, to push them to the next season,” Rhimes said, adding that they’ve planned through “season 6 or maybe 7” already.
Ahead of the premiere of the first season in 2020, Quinn spoke to PEOPLE about how it felt seeing the first of her books come to life on the screen, which she said was “this incredibly fairytale.”
“It’s just like a Cinderella story. My one option didn’t just get made, it got made by Shondaland.”
Quinn said of how the show, at least in season one, would stick to the book’s original plot: “My books are very tightly wound around the main characters… With the television series, especially when there’s such a big cast, you need to spread the focus a little bit, which they’ve done beautifully.”
“It’s not that they’re jumping ahead. But you can see little things like they’re getting things ready, hopefully for more.”
The first part of Bridgerton season 3 premieres on May 16, and and part 2 drops on June 13.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton — as well as its spinoff, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story — are now streaming on Netflix.
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