After the press tour for Bridgerton Season 4, which wrapped on February 26, Yerin Ha is embracing the online campaign for an unexpected crossover. While it may sound like chaos, fans of the two shows have essentially created the bridge. Facing the noise head-on, the Bridgerton star is all on board to join forces with another steamy series: Heated Rivalry.
Yerin Ha teases Bridgerton and Heated Rivalry crossover
The rumors began when fans got to know the same level of intensity was happening with Bridgerton and the new queer hockey drama Heated Rivalry, which is based on Rachel Reid’s novels. When an E! News reporter joked that it would “explode televisions,” Ha didn’t hesitate. “You know, folks were losing their minds. Heads were exploding for that ‘Heated Rivalry’ Bridgerton crossover. You all know what you were doing! Gold House know what they were doing. Yeah, they really did,” she joked.
“Because the fandom is so serious about their ‘Bridgerton.’ Oh yeah! Cause they love their couples. They do love their couples. And I love that they’re passionate about it. I think initially I felt the pressure, but then quickly I was like, ‘I need to focus on the work, you know?’ And if I put my energy into the right place, then hopefully the work can speak for itself.”
She even joked that Gold House, the organization that sparked the social media campaign with their edits, knew what they were doing. So did everyone else. Still, she confessed that the pressure had been intense. At some point, though, she tuned it all out and zeroed in on the work.
The work was bringing the “Benophie” faithful the love story they had been craving. Ha and Luke Thompson knew the stakes. Early on, the pair made a silent pact. Get this love story right. Make it together. Season 4’s darker turn and more focus on the class struggle paid off with the finale’s bathtub scene, which immediately went into the annals of Bridgerton history. The scene was shot over seven hours. Ha would later reveal that she left the set with hives and had to apply steroid cream. Not exactly the fairytale glamour that comes with the job.
And then there’s Sophie Baek. In the books, she’s Sophie Beckett. Jess Brownell, the showrunner, asked Ha for a Korean last name that started with the letter B. Ha suggested Baek. Done. No big backstory, no sidetrack, just a leading lady, fully claimed.
The end result? Bridgerton tops the charts, sitting at No. 1 in Australia and No. 3 worldwide. Season 5 cameras will begin rolling this month at Shepperton Studios. Somewhere out there, Benedict and Sophie are already sharing screen space with Shane and Ilya.
