Bridgerton Author Gladly Gave Up Creative Control to Shonda Rhimes

Julia Quinn trusted Shondaland to adapt her beloved book series for the screen.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 10:21pm

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Bridgerton author Julia Quinn has revealed that she was more than willing to give up creative control of the hit Netflix series adaptation of her books. Quinn says she trusted Shonda Rhimes and the Shondaland team to bring her Regency-era romance novels to life, even when they made major changes like gender-swapping a character. The author saw this as a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' that she didn't want to jeopardize.

Why it matters

Bridgerton has become one of Netflix's most popular and acclaimed original series, introducing Quinn's historical romance novels to a massive new audience. The author's willingness to cede creative control to the experienced Shondaland team has paid off, with the show becoming a global phenomenon.

The details

Quinn told the Maher sisters on the House of Maher podcast that she has almost no involvement with the Bridgerton TV series. She cited two main reasons why she was happy to give up creative control: 1) She didn't want to 'mess up' the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to adapt her books, as no romance author had ever gotten a deal like this before, and 2) She trusted Shonda Rhimes and the Shondaland team to do an excellent job, given their track record of creating acclaimed, popular shows.

  • Bridgerton premiered its first season on Netflix in 2020.
  • Season 3 of Bridgerton, which focused on a different Bridgerton sibling's love story than the books, premiered in 2023.
  • Netflix has renewed Bridgerton for two more seasons beyond the currently airing fourth season.

The players

Julia Quinn

The New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton book series, which has been adapted into a hit Netflix series.

Shonda Rhimes

The acclaimed television producer and showrunner who founded Shondaland production company, which is adapting Quinn's Bridgerton books for Netflix.

Jess Brownell

The showrunner for Bridgerton Season 3, who made the decision to gender-swap a character from the book series.

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What they’re saying

“I did not wanna mess this deal up. I was aware this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not just for me, but for my whole genre.”

— Julia Quinn, Author

“They know what they're doing, I'm not gonna be the person who's gonna tell Shonda Rhimes how to make television.”

— Julia Quinn, Author

What’s next

Production is currently underway on Season 5 of Bridgerton, which will feature the romance between Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling, a gender-swapped version of a character from the book series.

The takeaway

Julia Quinn's willingness to give Shonda Rhimes and Shondaland full creative control over adapting her beloved Bridgerton book series has paid off, with the Netflix show becoming a global phenomenon that has introduced her work to millions of new readers.