“Bridget Jones is such a vivid, lovable character because she is real. She doesn’t have it all figured out and constantly makes mistakes, just like everyone else. But she does it with humour and resilience. This is why people can relate to her and root for her,” says novelist Helen Fielding, who co-wrote the screenplay of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy with Dan Mazer, and Emmy winner Abi Morgan.
Pictured are Renée Zellweger and Leo Woodall. © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
The character of Bridget Jones first sprang from the pen of Helen Fielding in a series of British newspaper columns. Her voice and adventures in love caught the imagination of a generation of women who relate to her. The first Bridget novel, Bridget Jones’s Diary, was an international literary sensation. It inspired a film franchise that would revolutionize the romantic comedy genre.
The Bridget Jones Films
In the history of cinema, only a few films have redefined entire genres. Star Wars invented the modern sci-fi movie. Jaws created the summer blockbuster. And in 2001, Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary upended the romantic comedy. It introduced an irrepressible and lovable young woman. She was forging her own path and recording her life in hilarious diary entries. Stumbles and all, she made her mark.
Bridget was kind, smart, and relatable. She loved a cocktail and a cigarette. However, she couldn’t seem to catch a break when it came to love or sex. Bridget Jones obliterated the Jane Austen-esque archetype of the upright, virginal ingenue. This archetype had shaped romantic books and movies for more than a century. Bridget was a cultural supernova: Elizabeth Bennett on a bender, swearing like a sailor and sleeping with her boss.
- Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001): This is the first film in the series, directed by Sharon Maguire. It stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a 30-something British woman trying to navigate her love life and career.
- Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004): The sequel is directed by Beeban Kidron. It continues Bridget’s story as she deals with relationship issues with her boyfriend Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). She also faces the return of her ex-lover Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant).
- Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016): Directed by Sharon Maguire, this film picks up 15 years later. Bridget discovers she’s pregnant and is not sure who the father is. It features a mix of humor and romance, and was well-received by both critics and audiences.
Bridget has evolved with her audience in the two decades that followed her cinematic debut. She found love with Mark Darcy. She has had children and built a life that even the Smug Marrieds would envy. Now, in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Bridget finds herself unexpectedly widowed in midlife. She is the mother of two children, grappling with grief. She struggles to rediscover herself and her place in a new reality.
Working Title producers Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan have overseen every step of Bridget’s journey. They have produced every film in the franchise. This film has a particular resonance for them and for their company.
“Because the Bridget Jones films have been categorised as romantic comedies, there was this initial misconception. People mistakenly thought that Bridget was desperate to find romantic love,” says Amelia Granger, head of film for Working Title.
“In truth, though, what Bridget has always been seeking is self-love and self-acceptance. As filmmakers and fans, we’ve walked beside Bridget through all the major events in her life. We accompanied her from dating and career mishaps to marriage and motherhood. Now, we stand with her in loss. Bridget has remained authentic and relatable. Helen Fielding and Renée Zellweger committed to never losing sight of who Bridget is at her deepest core. For everyone at Working Title, it has been an honor and a privilege to have shared this journey. We shared this moment with them and with the character of Bridget.”
The producers wanted to bring this chapter in Bridget’s life to the screen. They aimed to capture hard emotional truths. At the same time, they wanted to deliver the sharp-witted comedy that audiences love. To achieve this, they needed a director skilled at seamlessly fusing comedy and drama. The director also had to be adept at working with a large ensemble cast. Additionally, the director had to be gifted at creating an environment where actors do their best work.
Director Michael Morris built on the legacy and artistry of the earlier films. He also authentically navigates this new terrain of Bridget’s life. In this film, grief and hope, as well as loss and laughter, intertwine in unexpected ways.
“How do you make those fit together?” Morris says. “How do you make a movie that is quintessentially Bridget Jones? It also needs to engage with issues and emotions that these movies haven’t engaged with before. I latched onto the question of how Bridget, or how any of us, overcome something that feels unimaginable. I had this notion of creating a ‘comedy of grief.’ This is a film that wants to honor an experience that all of us are inevitably touched by.”
Helen Fielding wrote the novel that serves as the basis for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Morris directs it. He is known for To Leslie and Better Call Saul. The screenplay is by Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Emmy winner Abi Morgan. Dan Mazer is noted for I Give It a Year and Bridget Jones’s Baby. Abi Morgan is known for The Iron Lady and Eric.
In Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, we catch up with Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger). She is now navigating life as a single mother. This follows the tragic death of her beloved Mark Darcy. Bridget juggles her career and raises two young children. She also deals with the grief of losing her husband. Her life is both chaotic and endearing. As she ventures into the world of modern dating, she finds herself entangled in humorous and heartwarming situations. With the support of her friends and family, Bridget embarks on a journey of self-discovery. She experiences love and healing. Bridget goes back to work to forge a new path toward life and love. She even tries out the dating apps. On these apps, she’s soon pursued by a dreamy and enthusiastic younger man (Leo Woodall; One Day, White Lotus).
