‘Bridgerton’ Season 2: Star Phoebe Dynevor Fears Possible Delays Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Bridgerton may have been one of Netflix‘s largest original series launches, but that doesn’t mean the streaming giant is going to fast-track a second season. Although the series enjoyed a royal welcome upon its December premiere, production on a possible second season may be delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Speaking with Deadline, series star Phoebe Dynevor suggested fans may have to wait a little while longer to see more of their favorite Regency era romances.

Although the actress, who portrays Daphne Bridgerton, is hopeful a Season 2 renewal will come, she is less hopeful that production will be able to resume in a timely manner. Dynevor said she “can’t imagine how it would be possible to film under these circumstances.” Government officials in the United Kingdom announced a strict lockdown on Jan. 5, which ordered schools closed and citizens to stay at home with few exceptions until at least mid-February. Dynevor said it would be almost impossible to film under these conditions given the fact that “there are so many extras and so many crew members, and it’s a very intimate show,” a reference to the many love scenes that played out through Season 1. The actress added, “it just baffles me how we would film it under COVID rules unless there was a vaccine beforehand.”

Despite her concerns, Production Weekly suggested Bridgerton could potentially begin production on its second season in March. The first season of the series wrapped filming in February last year, just days before production had to be abandoned due to COVID-19. Addressing those “intimate” scenes, Dynevor said they could not be properly achieved with current on-set safety measures.

Although Bridgerton is still waiting for Netflix to give it a green light for Season 2, a sophomore run almost seems guaranteed given the fanfare that surrounded its launch. Debuting in December 2020, the series was projected to reach 63 million households within 28 days of its debut, Netflix announced in early January, Variety reported. Those numbers make it the fifth-largest Netflix original series launch of all time.

Based on the novels of Julia Quinn, Bridgerton is set in 1700s England and follows the Bridgerton children, who are vying for marriages to secure their positions in Regency London society. While Season 1 largely focused on Daphne’s romance with Simon, Season 2 could shift focus to her older brother, Anthony Bridgerton, as it does in the second book. Dynevor said despite this, she’s “sure Daphne will end up getting involved.”

Along with Dynevor, Bridgerton stars Jonathan Bailey, Florence Hunt, Claudia Jessie, Luke Newton, Luke Thompson, Will Tilston, and Ruby Stokes as the Bridgertons, with the ensemble cast also including Adjoa Andoh, Lorraine Ashbourne, Ruby Baker, Sabrina Bartlett, Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Nicola Coughlan, Ben Miller, Rege-Jean Page, and Polly Walker. Julie Andrews serves as the narrator and the author of the society newsletter. Season 1 is available for streaming on Netflix.