It’s hard to think of Renée Zellweger without thinking of one of her most iconic roles as Bridget Jones. The loveable, yet hopelessly tragic ‘spinster’ who couldn’t quite find her place in the world was one of the most relatable onscreen characters who always kept it real.
As far as early 2000’s rom-coms go, Bridget Jones’ Diary was up there with the best of them. The third (and allegedly final) film left Jones happily back together with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and raising their first child together, a son named William.
But, it seems Bridget, Mark and William’s story might not be over after all, with the author of the original book series confirming a fourth film is in the works.
In an interview with Radio Times, author Helen Fielding said, “Yes I’m working on it and I really hope it will happen. Every film that gets made is a miracle – it’s really difficult to make films happen and to make them good. But I’d love to see it on the screen.”
Safe to say we’d love to see it happen, too.
Fielding’s comment comes nearly a year after The Sun reported that a secret fourth film was preparing for production, which would see Zellweger reprise her role with a grown up son in tow.
According to a source who spoke with the outlet, producers believed there was a “huge market” for another film given the popularity of the franchise.
“It will be seven or eight years since the last movie by the time this one hits the big screen, and fans will be desperate to find out what happened. It’s a British classic,” they said at the time.
For a quick recap, the first film, Bridget Jones’ Diary, saw Bridget’s heart strings tugged by the stiff, shy barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), and her charming yet arrogant boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). Of course, nice guys finish first in this cinematic universe, and Mark wins Bridget’s heart by the end of the film.
In the second film, Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, Bridget’s head is briefly turned after running into Daniel while travelling to Thailand. But despite a brief affair with her former flame, Bridget ends up in Mark’s arms, and the film ends with the pair finally getting married.
During the third film, Bridget Jones’ Baby, we are met with a recently-divorced Bridget, and a new love interest: American billionaire Jack (Patrick Dempsey). After meeting at Glastonbury Festival, Bridget discovers she is pregnant, and with the paternity of the unborn child unknown, Jack and Mark battle it out to win Bridget’s heart. Also important to note, Daniel Cleaver is presumed dead throughout most of the third film. At the end of the film, however, we discover that he has been found alive, perhaps opening the door for Hugh Grant to reprise his role as the dangerously charming dirtbag in the fourth installment?
Little is known about the latest project so far, and Zellweger has understandably remained tight-lipped. She most recently starred in the Judy Garland biopic Judy, which earned her an Oscar for Best Actress, and the true crime mini series, The Thing About Pam.
