Ahead of the upcoming release of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, fans and newcomers of the franchise have only a few days to view the first three instalments.
The trilogy – comprising of Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016) – tells the story of the titular character (Renée Zellweger) and her various attempts at love with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant).
Whilst all three films are currently on Netflix, viewers will have to be quick if they want to get up to speed or simply revisit the mad world of Bridget ahead of the release of the fourth film, with the trilogy set to be removed from the streaming service on January 15.
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Whilst the trilogy will remain viewable for a few more days, the recently-released trailer for the fourth film unveiled a huge shake-up, with Firth’s character confirmed to have passed away four years prior.
“It’s so peculiar because of the connection to this character I’ve come to love,” Zellweger told Empire of the development. “I love him. I love this person that Colin plays when we get together again. And I was heartbroken. It was such a peculiar thing to be heartbroken that a fictional character is gone from your life.
“[But I’ve] gotten to know him since 2000. And of course, Colin, he’s an integral part of that experience, and to not share it with him… I won’t lie, I shed some tears. It’s just, I guess, like life. Part of the magic just disappears.”
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Zellweger, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in the first film, continued by explaining how much the character of Bridget meant to her, saying she was “protective of her.”
“I love this character,” she said. “It’s such a unique experience to have the opportunity to revisit a character, to get to know her, in a different stage of her life as she evolves and grows. I feel great warmth for her. I’m also really protective over her, so the quality of the project is always at the forefront.”
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy will be released in cinemas on February 14.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
