Nearly 25 years ago, "Bridget Jones's Diary" set a new standard for romantic comedies, combining the heady romance of "Pride and Prejudice" with a young woman exhausted (and embarrassed) by the throes of modern dating. Feminine candid, relatable musings combined.
Like a solar eclipse or Beyonce's new album, the rom-com heroine returns when the world needs her most. After the sequel "The Edge of Reason" and Bridget Jones's Baby, The fourth movie is about to be officially released.
According to Deadline, the next installment of "Bridget Jones: Mad About Boys" will be released on Valentine's Day next year. Luckily, there's already a lot of information about the sequel - and the Darcy team may not be happy.
Wait, what is "The New Bridget Jones" about?
While there aren't any concrete plot details or trailers to speculate on, Bridget Jones: Mad About Boys is based on Helen Fielding's 2013 novel of the same name, and there are some very important clues in the plot that tell us. What happens next. Specifically, as The Hollywood Reporter points out, the book features Bridget Jones as the protagonist and tells the story of a single, widowed mother.
Yes, Mark Darcy is dead.
As Fielding told British Vogue in 2013, this sad development truly embodied the "tragic element" of her writing. "A happy ending is where you choose to end a book," she said (via the Daily Mail ). “Life goes on despite its twists and turns.”
Colin Firth may not return
Fielding wrote the script for the upcoming film, so it's likely that the fourth Bridget Jones will stick to its source material and say goodbye to Mark Darcy, who played opposite Bree in the previous film Strange married (and had a child).
Notably, Colin Firth is not in the cast - but there's definitely room for a Mamma Mia! Here we go again – a cameo from beyond the grave, no? Until then, fans were stunned by the prospect of a Bridget Jones sequel without Firth. "Colin Firth, where are you," one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another just said "no thanks" to the sequel.
If you're heartbroken over parting ways with Firth's Darcy, the rest of the cast may cheer you up. In addition to Renee Zellweger playing the heroine, Hugh Grant will also continue to play Daniel Cleaver. (ICYMI, his character was thought dead in Bridget Jones's Baby until a clipping in the film's final seconds revealed that he was still alive.)
There are other exciting new additions. Emma Thompson will also return from Bridget Jones's Baby , while Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall will also join the series.
While 2016's "Baby" seemed to bring Bridget's story a happy, natural ending, Zellweger has been vocal about her desire to continue the hilarious, heartfelt saga. "Man, I would love to relive her experience," the Oscar winner told Vanity Fair in 2020. "I love her. I just think she's funny. She's the best."
