A surprise twist and a steamy new romance: Everything you need to know about Bridgerton Season 4.

This article contains spoilers for the Bridgerton novel, An Offer From A Gentleman.

Dearest readers, it's about time we returned to the ton.

The fourth season of Bridgerton hits our screens later this month, strring Benedict Bridgerton as the lead in his very own Cinderella-inspired love story.

Played by British actor Luke Thompson, fans are in for a steamy season with Benedict, who has been involved in his fair share of trysts since the start of the show. And his love interest in season four will be played by Australian actress Yerin Ha.

Watch: 'Bridgerton' Season 4 Sneak Peek | Netflix. Post continues after video.

Thompson and Ha are joined by returning favourites including Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton), Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Bridgerton), Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton), Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and more.

What's more, showrunner Jess Brownnell recently shared further details, confirming that season four will be "most faithful" to the books so far.

"It really lends itself to adaptation, plot-wise," she said. "It's very similar."

There is, however, one thing that will divert from the book, written by Julia Quinn.

"Luke Thompson brings this wonderful sensitivity and self-awareness to the character," Brownell said.

"And so, in Benedict's story of trying to woo Sophie, I think the character is a bit more delicate and thoughtful, perhaps, about the way he goes about it."

It's clear fans are in for a steamy season with Benedict, who has been involved in his fair share of trysts since the start of the show. But what is the actual plot, and how long do we have to wait before it hits screens? Let's dive in.

Here's everything you need to know about Bridgerton Season 4.

Who is the lead in Bridgerton Season 4?

Benedict Bridgerton is our leading man this time around, with fans around the world screaming "at last!" when the news was finally confirmed.

There was a small clue at the end of season three (which only fans of the books would have picked up), and it all but confirmed Benedict's season was next.

The clue was this: Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) asked her older brother Benedict if she would see him at their mother's masquerade ball. The ball is actually where Benedict first meets his love interest.

Netflix doubled down on the masquerade theme when they confirmed Benedict's season in July, as they released a reel of actor being offered a suit for the impending ball.

Luke Newton passed the baton to Luke Thompson in Season 4 of Bridgerton. Image: Instagram.

What is Benedict Bridgerton's Season 4 storyline about?

So, Benedict is leading the fourth season and a masquerade ball will be key. Why is this ball so important to the story? Be careful, spoilers below for the novel An Offer From A Gentleman!

Sophie Beckett is the illegitimate daughter of an Earl, who has been relegated to a servant by her evil step-mama following his death.

One night, she sneaks into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball. She dances with the suave Benedict Bridgerton, but she must leave at midnight to make it home before her step-family. Benedict is consumed with attraction to the unknown woman, and he is blind to any other ladies around him.

Yes, it's a Cinderella story. No, not the one starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray. Though, a simple mask does make for an equally confusing and elongated plot line here.

Just like Chad Michael Murray's Austin Ames, Benedict Bridgerton seems to suffer from an inability to recognise a woman when her cheeks and eyebrows are covered. WHO COULD SHE POSSIBLY BE???? I don't know Austin, maybe that's child star and Disney darling Hilary Duff. But I digress, we're talking about Benedict.

As you can tell, Benedict and Sophie cross paths after the masquerade, and he does not recognise her. Shock twist.

Despite being completely enamoured by the mystery woman in the mask and constantly pining for her, when Sophie becomes a housemaid in the Bridgerton family home he doesn't recognise her as his masquerade gal. But he does find himself oddly drawn to her. I wonder why.

The series will follow a similar plot, but they're sure to throw in a few twists and turns that divert from the original source material — just like the previous seasons.

Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson on the set of Bridgerton Season 4. Image: Netflix.

One thing's for certain, Luke Thompson is committed to bringing at least one iconic skinny-dipping scene to the screen.

"I've said it before, but I do love a wild swim," he teased in an interview with Netflix. "Stick me in a lake if you can."

Further elaborating on the plot, Luke said he's looking forward to bringing the reality behind the fairytale to life in Bridgerton.

"The storyline is a bit of a twist on 'Cinderella.' You remember being told those stories as a child — the magic and the romance of them. It's really exciting to have that weaved into the world that we know of Bridgerton… It's such a great story, but it's also, I hope, really relatable," Luke said of the new season.

"What's striking about Season 4 is that it's the struggle between a proper old-school fairy tale — the romance of it — and the actual reality of the world. And both are true. You have to hold both of them — the romance and the reality — in your hand. In its best version, 'true love' happens in the middle of that."

These two romantic leads have become fast friends (with excellent chemistry).

"I remember Luke stood there with arms wide open, just ready for an embrace," Yerin told Netflix of their first meeting. "That was the moment I was like, 'Ah, okay, I don't need to stress about these little things now. I can just genuinely focus on the on-screen connection with him.'"

Who is playing Sophie in Bridgerton Season 4?

Netflix have confirmed that Benedict's love interest from An Offer From A Gentleman, Sophie, will be played by Australian actress Yerin Ha. A local girl taking on the ton? We love to see it!

"Dearest Gentle Reader, as preparations for the next social season are almost underway, we request a warm welcome to the newest member of the Ton…. Presenting Australia's own diamond, Yerin Ha, as Sophie in Bridgerton Season 4," Netflix revealed.

The snippet also revealed that they've changed her surname in the series, from Beckett to Baek. Similar to how Kate Sheffield's name was changed to Kate Sharma in the second season of Bridgerton.

"It's a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold," Ha says. "It's amazing what it can do just in a psychological sense. So it means a lot that Jess did that for me."

Yerin has previously starred in shows including Halo, Bad Behaviour, Troppo, and the upcoming prequel series, Dune: Prophecy.

She's not the only new kid on the block this season.

Image: IMDB

Meet the new cast members of Bridgerton Season 4.

Katie Leung (The Peripheral) has been cast as Lady Araminta Gun, Sophie's stepmother. 

Twice married and twice widowed, Araminta has two girls debuting on the marriage mart this season and is feeling the pressure to get at least one of them married off. Fabulous, discerning, and blunt, Araminta does not respond well when anything — or anyone — threatens her standing in society. 

Sophie's stepsisters Rosamund and Posy will be played by Michelle Mao and Isabella Wei, respectively.

Who is in the main cast of Bridgerton Season 4?

Along with our delightful newcomers are returning favourites including Nicola Couhlan (Lady Whistledown/Penelope Featherington), Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton), Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury), Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton), Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton), Polly Walker (Portia Featherington), Hannah Dodd (Francesca Stirling), Victor Alli (Lord John Stirling), Martins Imhangbe (Will Mondrich) and Emma Naomi (Alice Mondrich).

Noticeably absent from the returning cast list is Simone Ashley, who plays Season 2 leading lady Kate Sharma. Simone previously expressed her desire to return to the show if possible, so here's hoping she'll be added to the cast lineup soon!

At a press meeting at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, Simone said: "Both Johnny and I, we adore our characters, Kate and Anthony, so much and [love] their relationship and what they mean for the show, I think we'll do all we can with our schedules to make it work so that we can [return], hopefully."

Also missing is Jessica Madsen (Cressida Cowper) and Harriet Cains and Bessie Carter, who play Philippa and Prudence Featherington.

Now that Penelope's love story has played out on screen, these characters have come to a somewhat natural end. They may dip in and out in future, but their departure leaves way for new sub-plots.

Kate and Anthony are fan-favourites, but it seems Simone Ashley may not be returning. Image: Netflix.

Where are the other Bridgerton siblings in Season 4?

Eloise (Claudia Jessie) was an obvious frontrunner for the lead after being a main character for most of Season 3. However, Eloise is the focus of the fifth book, To Sir Phillip, With Love.

We will need to wait a moment longer for her story, but we're sure the showrunners will start setting fans up for Eloise's turn in Season 5… hopefully.

Then there's Francesca (Hannah Dodd) who features more dominantly in season three than any other season. While she already got married in the latest episodes, her "love story" hasn't actually played out just yet. Francesca's book, When He Was Wicked, is the sixth novel in the Bridgerton series and without spoiling it... bring a box of tissues for her turn, it's going to stab you in the heart.

How many seasons will Bridgerton have?

Every Bridgerton season revolves around a sibling, which means that after Daphne, Anthony, and Colin's seasons, we can expect five more seasons. Yep, Bridgerton ain't going anywhere.

Each instalment of the Netflix series is based on the equivalent book written by Julia Quinn, which focuses on the romantic pursuits of one member of the wealthy Bridgerton family at a time.

The first season focused on the sexy vibes between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) as their romance unfolded in the first book, The Duke And I.

Season two was based on The Viscount Who Loved Me, and chronicled Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) finding love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

Season three brought forward the storyline of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). Their book, Romancing Mr Bridgerton, had originally been fourth in the lineup since Colin is the fourth sibling, but Shondaland decided to restructure the order.

The restructure made sense, given the Netflix show intertwines characters and their storylines, while the books primarily only focus on the central love story and ignore most other subplots. The restructure allowed Bridgerton to wrap the Featherington family's dominant storyline, and move on to introducing some newer characters.

Which brings us to the fourth season.

The following seasons will be based around Benedict's An Offer From A Gentleman, Eloise’s To Sir Phillip, With Love, Francesca’s When He Was Wicked before the younger siblings get some love, with Hyacinth’s It’s In His Kiss and Gregory’s On The Way To The Wedding.

The Bridgerton siblings. Image: Netflix

What is the release date of Bridgerton season 4?

Sadly, there is no official release date yet.

Production started in September 2024 and is set to take around eight months to film. So, it is likely we will have to wait until 2026 to see Benedict's love story unfold.

Brownell previously told The Hollywood Reporter that while they work to "put the seasons out more quickly" there is a lot of work that goes into producing the beloved show.

"They do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited and then they have to be dubbed into every language," Brownell told THR.

"And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we're kind of on a two-year pace, we're trying to speed up, but somewhere in that range."

Welp, until 2026 we'll just have to rewatch Bridgerton in its entirety (several times over).

Feature Image: Netflix.

This article was originally published on May 25, 2024 and has since been updated with new information.