- Helen Fielding is the author of Bridget Jones’ Diary
- The novel came out in 1996 and has spawned four films
- The last film Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy comes out on February 13
The author of Bridget Jones‘ Diary Helen Fielding hasn’t ruled out writing a fifth Bridget Jones book. Before you get too excited, it’s only a maybe. Fielding introduced us to the quirky 30-something singleton in 1996 when she published the first novel. Three other novels and films followed, with the latest, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy hitting theatres on Valentine’s Day. The first film was released in 2001 and introduced us to Renée Zellweger as the loveable Bridget.
Mad About The Boy has been praised by critics and journalists for its portrayal of Bridget, now in her fifties. The story follows the book, as our favorite character is a single mother and a widow after losing her husband Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Fielding’s novels are the basis for the films, but certain details have been changed on-screen, which Fielding talks about in her latest interview. She says how Bridget and Roxster’s (Leo Woodhall) meeting was changed, with him meeting her while she is stuck in a tree in the film. In the book, they meet on Twitter.
Read More: Bridget Jones Star Leo Woodhall Ranks ‘Best Boyfriends’
Speaking to Variety Fielding revealed many juicy details about the new film and her opinions on writing a new book or doing a fifth movie. Find out what she said here.
When is Bridget Jones 4 coming out?
Bridget Jones releases on Peacock on February 13 and will be in theatres on February 14.
What did Fielding say in her interview?
About Bridget Jones, Fielding said a lot. It is her baby! When asked if she’d do another movie or film, she had a hopeful answer, the author did not shut down the idea.
“I’m always saying, ‘Right, that’s the last one. I’ve had enough’ So I do like to be dramatic. But this book started as not a Bridget book, so I never really know what’s going to happen. There is possibly a musical at some stage. At the moment, I’m writing a very non-Bridget book, which hopefully will stay and not turn into another Bridget book. But I don’t know,” Fielding said.
Previously Bridget Jones: Mad About A Boy was a grief book. In 2016 Fielding lost her long-term partner Kevin Curran, who she had been with for over 15 years. Fielding shares two children with her writer partner, who was a writer for The Simpsons.
Fielding continued and said the movie was not made to make money and if she was going to do another one, it needed “to mean something”. Isn’t that what Sarah Michelle Gellar also said about the new Buffy reboot? We smell a Bridget return!
What has the cast said about returning for Bridget Jones?
Just a few weeks ago at the premiere of Mad About The Boy, Zellweger teased more Bridget Jones movies. Speaking at the London premiere, she said she had her “fingers crossed” this wasn’t the last movie. Additionally, the actress said she hopes Fielding would “want to share something through the Bridget character again down the line”.
All of our fingers are crossed.
More revelations
The Bridget Jones author also made some revelations about the film and Bridget Jones. She reminisced on killing Firth’s character Mark Darcy and how it was “the second lead after Syria on BBC News”. Thirteen years later, some people are still mourning him.
The pain from script to screen
Although Bridget Jones was intended as a column to keep Fielding anonymous, the character turned into Fielding’s creation. She speaks about the pain behind handing the source material for About The Boy to the moviemakers. Since she was experiencing grief, the subject matter was more painful.
“Handing over your work as a writer and as a screenwriter to a collaboration, it’s famously quite painful. But I think with this one, because it’s such a personal story with the children and a real loss as well, it’s much more tender,” Fielding says.
She also says that Mad About The Boy kind of turned into a Bridget Jones book and wasn’t meant to be one. The screenplay was written during the COVID-19 pandemic and she revealed she showed the script to Grant early on. Famously Grant did not appear in Bridget Jones’ Baby, despite having a leading role in the previous two films. Fielding also reveals by her showing him the script he seemed to agree to come back.
The message of Mad About The Boy
The message of the fourth Bridget Jones installment for Fielding was that “[women] don’t change much” with age. She points out women still date, have sex, and do other things. The author also wanted to showcase the complexities of grief and show how “humor is actually a very intelligent and nurturing way of processing grief”.
That’s why there are five grief stages.
Casting new love interests
In About The Boy, there are two new love interests a handsome young man named Roxtser and a dashing teacher Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor). The relationship between Roxster and Bridget is juvenile, as Fielding describes it.
On casting Woodhall for Bridget’s younger love interest, she watched him in One Day and The White Lotus and saw his “huge range” which helped her cast him.
Ejiofor, on the other hand, has a “wonderful mixture of warmth and gravitas”, Fielding says. She compared the pairing of Bridget and Walaker to Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. There is a “spark” between the pairing and they “teach each other lessons” in their relationship, like Darcy and Elizabeth do.
Admiration for the cast
Despite Grant not joining the cast for the third movie, Fielding doesn’t hold grudges. She says he is “very loyal to her writing” and liked her script. Moving on to the actors, she says they “know what they are doing”. We’d hope so after playing their characters for almost 25 years!
On Grant, she says that in the new film, he improvised the line “I can’t remember how this works, do I give you 20 quid and try and shag you?”. The line is said when his character, Daniel Cleaver, is babysitting Bridget Jones’ small children.
Very Cleaver-esque, to be honest.
The characterization of Cleaver in the movie is also explained since he hasn’t been in the films for 20 years. Bridget’s ex is emotional about Darcy’s passing because of his previous rivalry and friendship with him, but he still behaves like his past playboy self, Fielding reveals.
Most proud moment
At the end of the interview, Fielding talks about what she’s most proud of in bringing Bridget Jones on-screen. She says she is proud that there is a “big audience with Gen-Z” and her daughter’s age. Mainly she says she’s proud of how relevant the character is even from issues today such as body image and social media. “I hope also that this film does something to make us rethink the stereotyping of older women because there’s so much bad stereotyping on screen and in fiction. Bridget isn’t anyone’s old bat,” Fielding adds.
On the embodiment of Bridget Jones (Zellweger), Fielding ignores past controversy about the actress being American. She says she is “perfect” and developed the “persona” needed to play Bridget, including her accent, of course!
Streaming decision
This is the first Bridget Jones movie that will be released on streaming before it will be in theatres. Weighing in that decision, Fielding says she understands why they did it. Pointing out that the films are already on streaming, she says About The Boy is a “good movie to watch on the sofa”.
Where can I watch Bridget Jones 4?
The fourth movie will be streaming exclusively on Peacock from February 13. The film will be released in the US and worldwide in theatres on February 14. Hopefully, it isn’t the last film!
