Renee Zellweger returns as Bridget Jones in 'Mad About the Boy' premiere

Hollywood star Renee Zellweger is set to reprise her role as the beloved Bridget Jones in the highly anticipated fourth installment, Mad About the Boy, which premieres Wednesday in London. The red carpet event will also feature rising actor Leo Woodall, who plays Bridget’s new and much younger love interest.

The film, based on Helen Fielding’s novel of the same name, follows Bridget navigating life as a 51-year-old widow and single mother, dealing with modern-day dating, social media, and cosmetic treatments following the death of her husband, Mark Darcy. This marks the first Bridget Jones film in nearly a decade, following Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), in which Bridget was caught in a paternity dilemma between Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and a tech mogul played by Patrick Dempsey.

Zellweger, a Texan actress, became an international star with Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), for which she adopted a British accent and famously gained weight to portray the clumsy yet lovable character. The film, co-starring Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, was a box office hit, leading to the sequels Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016).

Creator Helen Fielding has explained her decision to write out Mark Darcy, played by Firth, in the latest installment, stating that she did not want Bridget’s story to become one of a “smug and married” woman. Instead, Mad About the Boy explores Bridget’s continued misadventures in love and life as she attempts to adapt to new challenges in middle age.

The Bridget Jones franchise has remained a cultural touchstone since its debut, resonating with audiences for its humor, relatability, and heartfelt storytelling. With Zellweger returning to the iconic role, fans eagerly await another chapter in Bridget’s journey.