What we know so far about 'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy'

There's no character that has quite captured the nation's hearts like Bridget Jones. Whether you love her or hate her (or find her views around weight and men a little outdated) there's no denying she's one of pop culture's most famous figures—making the fourth Bridget Jones film a serious talking point when it comes to reboots.

Renée Zellweger is set to reprise her Oscar-nominated role as Bridget in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, a sequel from Universal Pictures and Working Title that's being co-financed by Miramax and directed by Michael Morris (To Leslie, Better Call Saul).

But what will the film be about? Bridget may be back, but will her old love interest, Daniel Cleaver, be returning too? Has she finally found her happily ever after? Here's everything we know so far.

What will 'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy' be about?

The film will be based on the Helen Fielding book of the same name, in which Bridget is in her fifties, a mother to two children and widowed following the death of Mark Darcy. Fielding previously said that she wrote Darcy out of the series because she didn't want Bridget to become "a smug married"—a fate which, as viewers of the first film will remember, Bridget herself deemed utterly terrible.

The production studio hasn't commented on how closely the new film will follow the storyline of the book, but a source has recently hinted that it will follow Bridget as a single mum, trying to navigate a new world of social media and dating apps after Mark Darcy's death.

"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 Woodall]," said the source. "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."

Is there a release date yet?

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), production company Working Title confirmed that filming had wrapped on the hotly anticipated sequel.

Sharing a picture of the a director's chair that had been labelled 'Bridget Jones', the post confirmed the film's release date as Valentine's Day 2025.

Working Title has also revealed the poster for the upcoming film. Harkening back to the original 2001 poster, the promotional material sees Zellweger clasping her infamous diary and looking coyly to one side.

Little more is revealed, with tagline of the film saying "new decade, new diary".

Who is starring in it?

Of course, Zellweger is taking on the leading role, and Hugh Grant—who plays the dashing but dastardly Daniel Cleaver, and did not appear in the third film—has confirmed he is returning, too. Could there be a reunion between the pair on the cards?

Emma Thompson, who debuted her character of Bridget's despairing obstetrician in Bridget Jones's Baby, is also set for a return.

New faces on the cast list include Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave) and Leo Woodall, who has recently one plaudits for One Day, who will play Bridget's younger love interest as she navigates the world of dating once again.

There's certainly plenty to get excited about—and we'll be updating this story when we know more...

This article first appeared in harpersbazaar.com/uk in August 2024. 

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