Bridget Jones's new chapter: Hugh Grant returns in 2025 tearjerker
"Bridget Jones" has been making us laugh to tears for years. In the latest fourth installment of the hit series, expect plenty of tears, but this time for a completely different reason. Hugh Grant revealed that it will be an exceptionally sad addition to the cult film series.
8:07 PM EDT, October 7, 2024
Hugh Grant has been trying for some time to break away from his image as a romantic lead by taking on roles as anti-heroes in films such as "Paddington 2" and the recent A24 horror "Heretic." However, he will soon return to one of the roles that made him a legend in romantic comedies. The actor will reprise his role as Daniel Cleaver in the announced fourth installment of "Bridget Jones's Diary." He previously skipped the third production in the series, "Bridget Jones 3."
During an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show," Grant spoke about his return to the iconic series. He mentioned that although the latest film will be traditionally funny, it will also incorporate elements with a deeper emotional foundation. "As always, it's very funny, but also very, very sad," the actor said, adding that there was originally no role for his character in this production.
In the first two films, produced in 2001 and 2004, Cleaver was the romantic rival of Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) for Bridget Jones's affection, played by Renée Zellweger. However, in the latest book by Helen Fielding, "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy," Cleaver's character does not appear. Nevertheless, the film team decided to find a way to include him in the production.
Grant emphasized that the script, adapted by Fielding, is unique and moving. "It's really a very good and touching script," the star noted. "I say this as someone who is usually terrible to scripts. This one was wonderful," he added.
The story of the new film deals with Bridget's life after the death of her husband, which, according to Grant, reflects the personal experiences of the author. Fielding, after the loss of her husband, raised her children on her own.
Despite the challenges of incorporating Cleaver into this new context, Grant suggested some changes to the script. He wanted his character, now older, to have a more complex storyline. "He's over sixty, so he can't just be sneaking down King's Road and picking up young girls. Something had to happen to him in the meantime, so we came up, I came up, with quite a good story," Grant confessed.
The film will also introduce new characters played by Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave") and Leo Woodall ("One Day"), who will likely play new potential partners for Bridget as she re-enters the dating world. The premiere of "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" is scheduled for Valentine's Day 2025.
