- Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy has smashed a box office record in its opening weekend
- The new movie is the best box office opening ever for a romantic comedy in the UK and Ireland
- The previous title holder was actually the franchise’s second movie, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
After 24 years, it turns out that Bridget Jones has definitely still got it – as the latest movie has smashed a box office record.
Released on February 13, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy has earned the best box office opening ever for a romantic comedy in the UK and Ireland, according to Universal.
The film – which once again stars Renée Zellweger as our beloved Bridge – made a staggering £11.8 ($14.9) million in its first four days – beating its own record of £10 ($12.63) million for Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 2004.
Not only that, but the movie – which also features a returning cast including Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson, as well as Bridget newcomers Leo Woodall and Chiwetel Ejiofor – enjoyed the biggest opening weekend of the year so far, although it did come in below other 2024 openings registered by the likes of Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked and Moana 2.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy also proved more popular than Captain America: Brave New World in the UK this weekend. The new Marvel film dominated box offices in North America – where Bridget Jones is not getting a cinema release.
Bridget Jones viewers agree with critics
While early reviewers labelled the fourth movie a “total triumph”, critics last week branded Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy as “the best sequel” in the franchise.
Giving the movie four out of five stars, The Independent wrote, “Zellweger, who at this point wears the role like a second skin, never overplays a scene. Bridget is a woman of the people, after all, because she represents how we use performative cheeriness as a defence mechanism. Wine and power ballads take care of the rest.”
Following suit, RadioTimes.com branded it “a story that maturely handles the difficulties of grief” and added, “Whisper it quietly, but it may even be the best Bridget Jones movie to date – perhaps because both the characters and the returning cast are having a blast.”
While Variety says it has a “sentimental middle-aged softness to it”, The Guardian gave it two stars and said the movie has “little chemistry between each of the two lead pairings”.
But Empire disagreed, and added, “The sequel we didn’t know we needed, Mad About The Boy is a heartfelt, charming return to the chaos surrounding the one and only Bridget Jones.”
Bridget Jones star Leo Woodall talks ‘toyboy’ role
Ahead of the movie’s release last week, Woodall sat down for an interview to discuss his ‘toyboy’ role.
The actor plays 29-year-old Roxster – who strikes up a relationship with Renée Zellweger’s 51-year-old Bridget Jones – in the film.
But Woodall, 28, says his character is so much more than just a younger man.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the actor revealed, “Look, I’m someone who typically leans into wanting to find the humor in things, and not taking things too seriously, particularly when it pertains to myself. So it’s not the phrase that bothers me, really.
“It’s more that in the story, Roxster is actually more than just a toyboy. They do have a real relationship and find a real connection. They’re very fond of each other – and he does ultimately show his maturity later in the story.
“So maybe there’s a slight hesitancy to accept the toyboy label for this character, just because it’s about more than that.”
