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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Morris
Screenplay by
Based onBridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
by Helen Fielding
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySuzie Lavelle
Edited byMark Day
Music byDustin O'Halloran
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures (United States and United Kingdom)
StudioCanal (France)
Release dates
  • 12 February 2025 (2025-02-12) (France)
  • 13 February 2025 (2025-02-13) (United States and United Kingdom)
Running time
125 minutes[1]
Countries
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50 million[2]
Box office$35.5 million[3]

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a 2025 romantic comedy film directed by Michael Morris from a screenplay by Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan. The sequel to Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) and the fourth installment in the Bridget Jones film series, it is based on the 2013 novel by Fielding. Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson reprise their roles as Bridget Jones, Daniel Cleaver, Mark Darcy and Doctor Rawlings, respectively, from previous installments, with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Isla Fisher, Josette Simon, Nico Parker and Leila Farzad joining the cast.

Bridget Jones, now a widowed single mother, navigates the challenges of parenthood, work, and modern dating with the support of her friends, family, and former partner, Daniel Cleaver. As she re-enters the dating world, she finds herself pursued by a younger man while also forming an unexpected connection with her son's science teacher.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy was first released in France on 12 February 2025, in the United States on the streaming service Peacock and in cinemas in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2025 and internationally in cinemas by Universal Pictures on 14 February 2025.

Plot

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Bridget Jones, now the mother of school-aged Billy and Mabel, prepares to go out for the first time in ages. While waiting for Daniel Cleaver, who is babysitting, to arrive, Bridget almost decides to stay home. However, she attends the celebration of life held for her late husband, Mark Darcy, who was killed four years earlier while on a humanitarian mission in Sudan. She spends the torturous evening accepting condolences and being pressured to start dating again.

Mabel and Billy are still awake when Bridget arrives home, so she recites a story as is their usual routine. Mabel ritualistically bids goodnight to a white owl outside before her mother heads downstairs. Bridget remembers Mark singing to the children, and imagines seeing him do this. Unable to sign onto her streaming platform, Bridget contemplates the often-contradictory advice and suggestions her friends and family offer.

Remembering her father, Colin's, dying wish that she get back to living, combined with Dr. Rawlings' suggestion to return to work, Bridget is motivated to re-enter the world. After Miranda calls for suggestions on a live interview for her women's program, Bridget contacts Richard and becomes a show producer.

Just as Bridget decides to re-enter the dating world, she meets park ranger, Roxster. The decades-younger man pursues her through Tinder, and, after days of texting, they arrange a date. Bridget's friends offer advice before they go out. Bridget and Roxster's relationship evolves over the summer, with Mabel quickly labeling him as their new daddy. Billy, still struggling to cope with his father's death, is less enthusiastic.

Bridget is invited to Billy's class to discuss her job as a TV producer. To demonstrate, she chooses a girl to act as producer, while she assumes the role as the presenter and interviews science teacher, Scott Wallaker. A seemingly simple explanation about an insect's life cycle turns more serious as Bridget asks questions about whether all living creatures have souls.

At a birthday bash for Bridget's colleague, Roxster makes a grand entrance. As they enjoy the evening, Roxster makes an offhand comment about wishing for a time machine. The next morning, Bridget awakens to find him gone. He then ghosts her.

Daniel, hospitalised due to a heart scare, contacts Bridget, feeling she is the only person who might care about him. He reflects on how alone he is, mentioning how he has not seen his teenaged son for over a decade. Bridget, who deeply misses her deceased father, suggests to Daniel that he should reach out to his son.

Roxster shows up at the studio to apologise to Bridget. Declaring his love, he explains he felt overwhelmed with cold feet, but now wants to be with her. Bridget expresses the wish for a time machine to catch him up, but they firmly part ways. That evening, after once again looking over her articles and memorabilia of Mark, she writes a heartfelt message to him. On Sunday, Bridget, Mabel and Billy go into the countryside to release helium balloons with their messages to him inside, at which time she lets go of him.

On a school outing to the Lake District, Bridget chats with Scott Wallaker. He says he always expected to have children, but it just never happened. When Bridget leaves to soothe a child, Billy confides to Scott that he fears forgetting his dad. Scott assures him that his father is a part of him, so will never be fully gone.

At the school pageant, Billy sings "I'd Do Anything", in tribute to his dad. Bridget knows Mark would have been proud. She thanks Scott for helping her family heal, and invites him to join them with her urban family afterwards. Arriving to see the rowdy group, he tries to slip away, but Bridget catches him outside. Confessing he is drawn to her, much like Newton's Law of being equal but opposite, Bridget kisses Scott before he can leave.

A year later, at a big New Year's Eve party, Bridget's urban family, their children, her mother, Una, Daniel with 16-year-old son, Enzo, and Scott celebrate with drinks, dancing, and the midnight countdown. Afterwards, as Bridget and Scott tuck the kids into bed, they bid goodnight to the owl.

Cast

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Production

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In October 2022, Helen Fielding responded to reports about a fourth film in the Bridget Jones film series, telling the Radio Times that a sequel to Bridget Jones's Baby was in the works.[4]

In April 2024, a fourth film in the Bridget Jones film series based on the third book in the Bridget Jones series, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was confirmed. Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson were confirmed to be reprising their roles from previous installments, with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall joining the cast. Michael Morris will direct the film from a script by Fielding with further contributions from Abi Morgan and Dan Mazer,[5] with Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Jo Wallett producing under the Working Title Films banner.[6][7] Miramax will also co-finance the film.[8] In May, Isla Fisher, Josette Simon, Nico Parker, and Leila Farzad joined the cast of the film, with Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Sarah Solemani, Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson, and James Callis reprising their roles from the previous films.[9]

While Bridget's former love interest Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) appears in the film's trailer, it is revealed that he has died, leaving Bridget a widow.[10]

Principal photography began on 10 May 2024, at the Sky Studios Elstree in London.[11][12] Filming wrapped on 8 August.[13]

Release

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The film was first released in France on 12 February 2025, on 13 February 2025 on Peacock and in cinemas in the United Kingdom and in cinemas internationally on 14 February 2025 by Universal Pictures.[14]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 101 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's consensus reads: "A bittersweet romp about new beginnings with another sparkling turn by Renée Zellweger, Mad About the Boy gracefully closes the book on Bridget Jones' diary."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  2. ^ Lang, Brent; Rubin, Rebecca (12 February 2025). "Why Hollywood Keeps Sending Rom-Coms Like 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Straight to Streaming". Variety. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Box Office: 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Debuts to $35 Million Overseas, 'Captain America: Brave New World' Nears $200 Million Globally". Variety. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  4. ^ Hibbs, James (31 October 2022). "Bridget Jones author confirms she's working on fourth movie". Radio Times. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  5. ^ Grobar, Matt (9 April 2024). "Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant & Emma Thompson To Return For 'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy'; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall Also Set". Deadline. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  6. ^ Grobar, Matt (9 April 2024). "Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant & Emma Thompson To Return For 'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy'; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall Also Set". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  7. ^ Kit, Boys (9 April 2024). "Renée Zellweger Set to Return for New 'Bridget Jones' Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  8. ^ Stephan, Katcy (9 April 2024). "Renee Zellweger to Return for 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' With Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson". Variety. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  9. ^ Grobar, Matt (29 May 2024). "Isla Fisher & Nico Parker Among New Additions To 'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy' As 9 Are Set To Return". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  10. ^ Coy, Bronte (14 November 2024). "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy – Fans horrified by major detail in first official trailer". news.com.au (via NZ Herald).
  11. ^ Ritman, Alex (7 May 2024). "Universal's Sky Studios Elstree Hosts 'Wicked,' 'Jurassic Park' Sequels in Expanding Overseas Production Footprint". Variety. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  12. ^ Calnan, Ellie (10 May 2024). "'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' begins filming in London". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  13. ^ El-Mahmoud, Sarah (8 August 2024). "The New Bridget Jones Movie Has Wrapped, See The Studio's Celebratory Post". CinemaBlend. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  14. ^ Rahman, Abid (12 November 2024). "'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Trailer Sees Renée Zellweger Seek Love After Tragedy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
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