ELLE Exclusive: Renée Zellweger & Hugh Grant Talk About Bridget Jones’ Next Chapter

Growing up, rom-coms were more than just movies to me—they were an escape from reality. Like, what’s more fun than watching two characters fall in love while you’re still waiting for a reply? Exactly. From the grand gestures to the inevitable mix-ups, they offered a world where love was messy, hilarious, and ultimately, worth it. And no character embodied that better than Bridget Jones.

 With her awkward charm, laugh-out-loud misadventures, and endearing vulnerability, she felt like the best friend we all needed. Now, as Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy gears up for its highly anticipated release on February 14 2025, the beloved franchise embarks on a new, heart-tugging adventure.

The fourth instalment in the Bridget Jones series, directed by Michael Morris, sees the return of Renée Zellweger as the inimitable Bridget, alongside Hugh Grant, Colin Firth (in a poignant posthumous role as Mark Darcy), and others. The stars share their candid views with ELLE on life, love and everything in between.

Moving, precious, personal: What the stars say... 

For Zellweger, who also serves as an executive producer, revisiting Bridget’s world was a deeply personal decision shared with us, “Helen has described this as the most personal of all her Bridget books. She’s dealing with her most precious, private moments—the ones she shared with her children while she was navigating that moment in her own life."

This emotional core adds a new depth to the film as Bridget faces life four years after losing her husband, Mark Darcy, in a tragic humanitarian mission in Sudan. Now a single mother to Billy and Mabel, she juggles the minefield of modern parenting while attempting to keep up with the effortlessly polished school mothers. Despite the heartbreak, Bridget's indomitable spirit remains intact, proving that resilience and laughter go hand in hand.

One of the film’s most delicious twists is the return of Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver. Once the ultimate cad who brought both delight and disaster to Bridget’s life, Daniel now steps in as an unexpected source of support. “This is perhaps the best of the four scripts I’ve read,” Grant confesses. “It’s very moving and close to Helen Fielding’s heart.” While their past is littered with mischief and melodrama, their evolving friendship keeps viewers guessing—could old sparks reignite?

Grant’s delight at reprising his role is palpable: “Cleaver is fun to play. One of the few things I’ve discovered over the years is that if you’re not having fun doing the part, then you probably shouldn’t be doing it. He’s a breath of fresh air. A dinosaur in the world of woke. He’s mischievous and wrong.”

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Adding further intrigue, Leo Woodall steps into the frame as Roxster, a dashing park ranger who may just turn Bridget’s world upside down. The film seamlessly blends humour, romance, and bittersweet truths, ensuring it retains the effortless charm that has made the Bridget Jones series so universally adored.

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As rom-coms continue to find their footing in modern cinema, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy reminds audiences why they fell in love with the genre in the first place. With its stellar cast, heartfelt storyline, and a heroine as delightfully imperfect as ever, this film is set to be a Valentine’s Day highlight and a sparkling addition to the romantic comedy hall of fame.