‘Bridgerton’: Benedict & Sophie Cozy Up as Season 4 Begins Filming (PHOTOS)

Dearest gentle readers, Netflix is giving fans a first look at the production of Bridgerton Season 4 with first-look photos of stars Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha as they prepare to take on the leading roles with Ha joining as Sophie Baek and Thompson reprising his role as second-eldest Bridgerton brother, Benedict.

In the newly unveiled photos, Ha and Thompson pose on set to celebrate the start of production on Season 4 which adds new cast members, promotes old favorites, and is expanding its filming footprint, according to the streamer. As fans already learned, Ha will take on the role of Sophie, a.k.a. the Lady in Silver, who catches Benedict’s eye at his mother’s masquerade ball.

What the artist doesn’t know is the object of his affection isn’t living comfortably in high society like him, but is rather treated as a maid by the Ton’s most demanding employer. Despite the challenges she’s faced, Sophie is resilient and finds a way to persevere despite the odds against her.

Helping to tell her story are new additions Katie Leung as Lady Araminta Gun, Michelle Mao as Rosamund Li, and Isabella Wei as Posy Li, who will play into Sophie’s storyline as a maid. “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,” Thompson told Netflix’s Tudum.  “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.”

Meanwhile, Ha recalled the first time she met Thompson at showrunner Jess Brownell‘s home, as she told Tudum, “I remember Luke stood there with arms wide open, just ready for an embrace… That was the moment I was like, ‘Ah, OK, I don’t need to stress about these little things now. I can just genuinely focus on the on-screen connection with him.'”

And based on the photos, below, there’s definitely a strong connection as the duo sits closely together for photos. As for what fans can anticipate from Season 4, Thompson teased, “I get really excited by how many unexpected twists you’ll get in Season 4. A big one I’m sure I can mention is this one masquerade ball…”

Don’t miss the first photos, below, scroll down for a closer look at the start of Season 4 production which will also see Bridgerton expand its filming locations on one of the newly constructed backlots of Shepperton Studios, which showcases replicas of Georgian and Regency architecture including homes, buildings, Mayfair Street, and more.

Bridgerton, Season 4 Premiere, TBA, Netflix