Harry Potter star Katie Leung joins Bridgerton season 4 as lead rival

Bridgerton season four will welcome Harry Potter alum Katie Leung as one of the key rivals to new leading lady Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha).

Scottish actor Leung, 37, best known for her role as the titular wizard’s love interest, Ravenclaw witch Cho Chang in the blockbuster film franchise, will star as “twice-married and twice-widowed” Lady Araminta Gun.

Lady Araminta is the mother of two daughters “debuting on the marriage mart this season and is feeling the pressure to get at least one of them married off,” an official character description reads.

“Fabulous, discerning, and blunt, Araminta does not respond well when anything – or anyone – threatens her standing in society.”

Meanwhile, her eldest daughter Rosamund Li (Goosebumps’ Michelle Mao), described as “beautiful, vain and eager to please her mother” has set “her sights on Benedict Bridgerton this season and is determined to get what she wants.”

The Crow’s and 1899’s Isabella Wei will star as Rosamund’s friendlier and chattier younger sister, Posy Li.

The forthcoming season of Netflix’s high Regency-era romance will be based on the third novel, An Offer from a Gentleman, in author Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series.

It will focus on the love life of the second-oldest Bridgerton, Benedict, who, in previous seasons, has shown little interest in marriage. That is until he meets Sophie, disguised in a silver gown, at Violet Bridgerton’s masquerade ball.

Sophie is a victim of “tragic events” and has been forced to spend much of her life working as a maid for the most demanding employer in the town. However, her circumstances “drastically change” after attending the ball.

Originally named Sophie Beckett in the books, Sophie’s surname has since been changed to Baek out of respect for Ha’s Korean culture.

“A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that’s why changing a name can be so powerful,” the Korean-Australian actor recently told Tudum. “To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. All credit to Jess Brownell, our showrunner.”

Ha added: “It’s a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold. It’s amazing what it can do just in a psychological sense. So it means a lot that Jess did that for me.”

Netflix has not yet announced a release date for Bridgerton season four.