Good news for “Bridgerton” fans: Shonda Rhimes has locked in another five-year deal with Netflix. But her partnership with the streaming giant goes far beyond Regency-era drama, as the producer continues to expand her media empire across the platform.
According to Deadline, the renewed deal with Netflix means her production company, Shondaland, will continue to develop exclusive series, feature films and interactive games for Netflix users worldwide.
It comes as no surprise that Netflix wants to keep Rhimes around. With a stellar résumé that includes creating the hit medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” political thriller “Scandal,” and executive producing “Bridgerton”— which alone has racked up more than 600 million views on the platform — she knows the recipe for captivating TV.
Here is how Rhimes built her record-breaking empire at Netflix.
Related: Netflix’s ‘A Different World’ Reboot Trailer Is Here and Black Twitter Is Divided
“Bridgerton”
When “Bridgerton” first dropped in 2020, it broke records at Netflix, reaching 82 million households in its first 28 days on the platform, according to the BBC. That record was previously held by the fantasy drama series “The Witcher,” which drew 76 million households in its first month.
Since then, the series has grown into a Netflix staple, captivating global fans and generating an estimated $350 million in revenue in the U.S. and Canada alone, according to Screen Rant. Part of that massive success is due to the success of “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” a limited spinoff series that blew up just as fast as the flagship show.
“Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story”
With the release of that steamy romance drama in 2023, Rhimes hit another jackpot. Shortly after dropping on the streaming platform, the show shot straight into Netflix’s top 10 most popular series of all time, bringing in 80.3 million views, according to Variety.
Led by British actors India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreest, the series still has folks online begging for a season 2.
“Inventing Anna”
Rhimes also broke records in 2022 with the biographical drama series “Inventing Anna.” Centered on the true story of infamous con artist Anna Delvey (played by Julia Garner)—who posed as a German heiress to scam New York’s elite—the show raked in 196 million hours viewed in a single week, according to Deadline. It also spent 10 weeks in the global top 10.
“The Residence”
In 2025, Rhimes executive produced the mystery-comedy-drama “The Residence.” Starring Uzo Aduba as detective Cordelia Cupp, the series followed an investigator trying to solve a high-stakes murder at the White House that took place during a state dinner. Even though the show wasn’t renewed after its first season, it still brought in a massive audience for Netflix, pulling in 177.4 million viewing hours and spending four weeks in the global top 10.
“Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker”
Beyond letting fictional Black women shine on the small screen, Shonda Rhimes has also used her platform at Netflix to highlight real-life Black stories—as she did with “Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker.”
The 2020 documentary took viewers behind the scenes at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy as the Broadway icon and “A Different World” star prepared to stage her award-winning production of “The Nutcracker,” showcasing Black dance culture in all its glory.
“Black Barbie: A Documentary”
Last but certainly not least among the projects that helped Rhimes build her empire at Netflix is the Emmy-winning documentary “Black Barbie.” Telling the story of Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins and Stacey McBride-Irby—the three Black women who championed and designed the first Black Barbie doll—this film brought another vital piece of Black history to the spotlight while securing Rhimes her very first Daytime Emmy Award.
With her renewed deal at Netflix, we have no doubt Rhimes will continue to do what she does best: create binge-worthy television shows and build on the monumental foundation she’s already laid down.
