Season 3 of Netflix’s Bridgerton will have a new Francesca.
The role of the Bridgerton sibling was previously portrayed by Ruby Stokes. Now, Stokes has officially been recast, with Hannah Dodd set to take over as Francesca.
Francesca’s presence on Bridgerton has been inconsistent at best. In season 1, the character appeared twice briefly. But then the character spent time away, visiting an aunt in Bath. Season 2 saw Francesca return, but circumstances behind the camera ultimately pulled her away again; Stokes landed a lead role in the upcoming Netflix series Lockwood & Co. She appeared in the first three episodes of the season before disappearing from the plot without explanation.
“I love Francesca, but we lost her midway through Season 2,” Bridgerton showrunner Chris Van Dusen told TVLine in March. “After exhausting all other options, she unfortunately had to come out due to reasons beyond our control.”
Francesca, the second youngest daughter in the Bridgerton family, takes center stage in Julia Quinn’s sixth novel in the series, “When He Was Wicked.” So, the character still won’t be the focus of the upcoming season. But hopefully, with Dodd able to commit more fully to the series, Francesca won’t just disappear again.
Based on Quinn’s novels, Netflix’s Bridgerton dives into the romance and drama of Regency London high society. Each season focuses on the courtship of one of the eight siblings in the Bridgerton family. Jess Brownell joins season 3 as showrunner and EP alongside Van Dusen.
British actress Dodd most recently appeared in another Netflix series Anatomy of a Scandal, playing a younger version of series lead Sienna Miller. She also recently wrapped filming on the Enola Holmes sequel opposite Millie Bobby Brown.
Production on season 3 begins this summer in London. You can stream the first two seasons of Bridgerton on Netflix now.
Source: Deadline
