Well, this isn’t the Bridgerton season 4 update that any fans were hoping to hear. After the two-part release of the record-setting third season this summer, viewers are likely hoping to see the next chapter on Netflix sooner rather than later. But the season 3 follow-up just got pushed back even further.
According to a report from What’s on Netflix, Bridgerton season 4 will no longer begin filming this summer. Rumors had been swirling that production on season 4 would kick off as soon as June 2024, but it’s looking more likely that cameras will start rolling this fall in September. Likewise, filming will last for about seven months through April 2025.
Before word of the production postponement arrived, Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell already confirmed that season 4 would premiere in 2026. The romantic drama series has adopted a release pattern of a season every two years, which has been the cause of much aggravation for fans. Now that filming has been pushed back, season 4 will be released even further into 2026.
Bridgerton season 4 filming postponement frustrates fans
While the reasons behind Bridgerton season 4’s production schedule being postponed aren’t known, they aren’t needed to justify the confusion and frustration of viewers. Each season of the show contains eight episodes, and that doesn’t seem like much when most broadcast shows are still producing and airing as many as 24 episodes between September and May each year.
Netflix shows have become known to take longer to produce since the streamer opts to create the entire finished product before it’s released. The streamer’s original shows are also dubbed in multiple languages for worldwide audiences, and that adds extra time to post-production. As for Bridgerton, its period setting, large ball scenes, and choreography have been attributed to the lengthy production pacing.
Brownell said that the team was “working to try and put the seasons out more quickly,” but that ultimately doesn’t seem to be coming to fruition with season 4 (which has been greenlit since April 2021). Shonda Rhimes, too, has expressed discontent with how long it takes to release seasons, coming from her broadcast background with Grey’s Anatomy and other TGIT staples.
To put this in some semblance of perspective, Bridgerton season 3 began filming in July 2022 and wrapped in March 2023. Even though it had been believed to release by the end of 2023, its eventual release came in May and June 2024, after the dual Hollywood labor strikes. Still, we could be looking at the same kind of prolonged timeline even if filming does wrap in April 2025. Buckle up and be patient.
