- Grant says the plot for the new movie has left him emotional
- He played infamous love-rat Daniel Cleaver in the first two movies, but will ‘come back from the dead’ for the fourth installment
- Grant appeared to confirm that Colin Firth will not make an appearance in the fourth film
He’s known as the infamous ladies’ man Daniel Cleaver in the franchise.
But now Hugh Grant has revealed that the fourth installment of Bridget Jones had left him in tears.
Grant, 63 – who appeared as lothario Cleaver in 2001′s Bridget Jones’s Diary and 2004′s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason – teased that he had been moved by the script.
“I’ll tell you what, I think this script for the fourth Bridget is the best one of the four,” he admitted. “And, in fact, one of the best scripts I have read in a long time.”
Grant chose not to appear in the third movie, 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby, and his character was actually supposedly killed off in a plane crash – but writer Helen Fielding left the door open for his return, a newspaper headline teased at the end of the movie that he was actually found alive.
However, Grant also opened up about another of the cast not starring on screen in the new film, which will start shooting in May and hit cinemas for Valentine’s Day next year.
As suspected, the movie will be based on author Fielding’s 2013 novel, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which sees the protagonist’s partner Mark Darcy killed off in an explosion – so actor Colin Firth won’t be appearing this time.
“It’s based on trying to bring up two children alone, and then [it’s] all mixed up in the Bridget Jones [style] comedy, so it’s very sad, as well as very funny,” revealed Grant. “It has me in tears.”
He added, “It just suddenly sprang out of, you know, Helen writing another book. Hopefully, we’re not too ancient. I don’t do much now, I’ve just got a few scenes.”
While fans will obviously miss Firth, 63, as grumpy Darcy, they can expect to see actor Renée Zellweger, 55, back in the lead role.
Joining her is Emma Thompson – who played Doctor Rawlings in 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby – with Chiwetel Ejiofor and White Lotus and One Day star Leo Woodall also set to star.
A movie source told The Mail On Sunday, “Bridget is back and is about to take over London. Filming is being mapped out already and all of the pre- production is in place.
“There was some uncertainty about whether it would get off the ground, but the movie is coming.
“Renée is excited about bringing Bridget back. She adores the character so much. Bridget Jones fever is expected to sweep across London this spring.”
