00:00Bridgerton author Julia Quinn is addressing fan disappointment over the gender flip of a major
00:04character. In the final moments of Bridgerton season three, fans are introduced to the character
00:10of Michaela Sterling, the cousin of Francesca Bridgerton's husband, John Sterling. Now,
00:15major spoilers ahead, so fair warning. Those familiar with the books know that John's cousin,
00:20Michael, becomes Francesca's second husband after John sadly dies. For the screen adaptation,
00:26showrunner Jess Brownell changed Michael to Michaela, introducing Bridgerton's eventual first
00:31same-sex relationship. And some fans have expressed their surprise and disappointment over the major
00:36change. In a lengthy social media post, Quinn addressed the feelings fans may be having,
00:42noting that she was also a little unsure after Brownell brought the suggestion to her.
00:46Switching the gender of a major character is a huge change, and so when Jess Brownell first approached
00:51me with the idea of turning Michael into Michaela for the show, I needed more information before
00:56conferring my agreement. However, after speaking with Brownell, the author noted that she's confident
01:01that when Francesca and Michaela's story comes to life in Bridgerton, it will be the most emotional
01:06and heart-wrenching installment of the show, just like the novel was. She even pointed out that John's
01:11death may even hit harder in the show than in the books, because he's getting more time on screen
01:15than he ever did on the page. She concluded by thanking her fans and touched by their commitment.
01:21I think we are going to end up with two love stories, one on page and one on screen, and they
01:26will both be beautiful and moving. In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Brownell explained
01:30that she got the idea to change Francesca's love interest to a woman when she read the book and
01:35related to it as a queer woman. She noted that even though there will be some changes, they plan on
01:40adapting the book pretty closely. She added, when we tell the Francesca and Michaela story, we would
01:45definitely want there to be a time jump to give Francesca some time to earnestly mourn what she
01:50had. For more on this story, head to THR.com. And for the latest entertainment news and updates,
01:55keep watching The Hollywood Reporter News.
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