Almost a decade on since we last saw our chaotically lovable heroine in all of her bedraggled glory, Bridget Jones is set to make a return to our screens once again.
The fourth film in the Bridget Jones' Diary franchise, which will begin shooting in May, is called Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy. It is expected to be based on the 2013 book of the same title by Helen Fielding, but it's yet unclear how heavily the adaptation will rely on the original plot.
Per the Daily Mail, pre-production is already ‘well under way’.
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‘Filming is being mapped out already and all of the pre-production is in place,' a source told the publication. ‘There was some uncertainty about whether it would get off the ground, but the movie is coming. Renée is excited about bringing Bridget back. She adores the character so much. Bridget Jones fever is expected to sweep across London this spring.’
Excited is is an understatement. This is everything we know about our favourite love-sick Londoner's return to the fold.
What will the plot of Bridget Jones' Diary 4 be?
While little is known for certain about the plot of the fourth film, it is believed that the fourth film will focus on Jones' pivot to online dating and her dalliance a suitor 28 years her junior, who, it is believed, will be played by The White Lotus' Leo Woodall.
'Bridget is going to be a real cougar in the new film and she'll be seen starting a relationship with a much younger character played by Leo,' a source told The Sun. 'Bridget is a single mum trying to navigate a new world of social media and dating apps after Mark's death, so she's definitely going to end up in a pickle. Hugh Grant is back as Daniel Cleaver, so there will be a love triangle between Bridget's older flame and this much younger new man.'
When the news of the fourth film was revealed, a source close to production confirmed that the fourth instalment is also set to have some sort of ‘devastating twist’, which will come as no great surprise given the sucker punch of a shock that came in the third film.
In the third instalment of the beloved film series – after Bridget Jones’ Diary in 2001 and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 2004 – we saw the 32-year-old British singleton finally find her happy ending. In Bridget Jones' Baby, Jones married Mark Darcy (played by Colin Firth) while Jones’ other love interest, Daniel Cleaver (played by Hugh Grant) died in a plane crash, but the story wasn't based on any of Helen Fielding's books.
When asked about a fourth movie instalment two years ago, Fielding, the author of Bridget Jones' Diary, revealed she was working on an adaptation of her 2013 novel Mad About the Boy, which takes place four years after Darcy dies too and sees Jones navigate the difficulties of being a single parent and returning to the dating pool as a fifty-something-year-old.
She told Radio Times that the fact that every one of her films that got made was a ‘miracle’.
‘I think it’s really difficult to make films and to make them happen and to make them good and we want it to be really good. But I really hope so. I’d love to see it on the screen,’ she added.
The author has also said that she wrote Darcy out of the book series because she she didn't want Bridget to become 'a smug married', a fate the character of Jones had previously been intent on avoiding.
Who will make up the cast of Bridget Jones 4?
It's now been confirmed that Zellweger and Grant will reprise their roles of Jones and Cleaver. To many fans' horror, though, it remains unconfirmed whether Firth will return as Darcy. Woodall, who is currently in a relationship with his White Lotus co-star Meghann Fahy, has also been confirmed to have joined the cast.
Another new cast member we can't wait to see on screen is 12 Years A Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor. And a (likely triumphant) return comes in the form of Emma Thompson, who memorably starred in the third film as despairing obstetrician Dr Rawlings.
During an appearance on The Talk in 2019, Zellweger confirmed that she'd be interested in starring as Bridget Jones once again.
'Bridget Jones: The Menopause,' Zellweger joked. 'No, I know Helen's [Fielding] written the book, and I love this character. So, I mean, if they call me, I'll go running.'
When will Bridget Jones 4 be released?
While it was initially believed that the SAG-AFTRA strikes had put a halt to production, it is now understood that pre-production is well underway and it's believed that production on the film will begin in May. The film is set for US release on Valentine's Day (February 14) 2025, while the UK release date has not yet been announced. Stay tuned!
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Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
