Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy - Release Date, Cast, Story & Everything We Know

Nearly a decade after the latest sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary hit theaters, the beloved romantic comedy series continues with Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Based on the eponymous Helen Fielding novel and released in 2001, Bridget Jones's Diary concerns 30-something Bridget (Renée Zellweger) who decides to take control of her life and journals the entire experience. Itself a send-up to Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary quickly became a classic of the cinematic romance genre, and it didn't take long for the blockbuster to receive a sequel.

2004's Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason again drew inspiration from Helen Fielding's book and continued Bridget's journey. It would take over a decade for 2016's Bridget Jones's Baby to arrive, but the threequel not only brought fans back in droves but also earned high marks from critics compared to its immediate predecessor. Besides being some of Renée Zellweger's best movies, the trilogy has been a financial juggernaut. This made a fourth Bridget Jones movie seem inevitable, though fans had to wait until April 2024 for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy to be formally announced.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Is Confirmed

A Fourth Bridget Jones Movie Is On The Way

Unlike other Hollywood projects which are announced with very little detail, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy was revealed with its cast, release date, and various other vital information already known. In April 2024, the fourth Bridget Jones film was revealed with Renée Zellweger confirmed to return in the role that earned her an Oscar nomination. Perhaps most interesting, Hugh Grant is slated to reprise his role as Daniel Cleaver for the first time in more than 20 years since he last appeared in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (via Variety)

Original star Emma Thompson will also return for the fourth movie, and Michael Morris (To Leslie) has been tapped to direct. The movie will adapt the Helen Fielding 2013 novel Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which is actually the third book in the vaunted literary series.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Release Date

Bridget Jones Returns For Valentine's Day 2025

Just as the film was formally announced, it was revealed that Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy already has a release date set. The film is scheduled to arrive on Valentine's Day 2025, and will be a dual release between theaters and Peacock. It's unclear if the release date will hold for nearly a year, but the romantic holiday is the perfect occasion for the Bridget Jones fourquel.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Cast

Renée Zellweger Returns Alongside New & Old Faces

All of the Bridget Jones movies have something in common, and that mutual denominator is lead actor Renée Zellweger who rocketed to fame in the eponymous role. Fortunately, Zellweger will be back to play the quirky and lovable Bridget Jones once again, and she won't be the only legacy character in the ensemble. Hugh Grant will return to play Daniel Cleaver after a two-decade absence. Also, Emma Thompson will reprise her role as Bridget's doctor, Dr. Rawlings. Two new names have joined the ensemble, with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall cast in undisclosed roles.

The known cast of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy includes:

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Story

The Film Is Based On Helen Fielding's 2013 Book

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Though the Bridget Jones film series skipped over Fielding's 2013 book Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy to make Bridget Jones's Baby in 2016, it didn't do too much to deviate from the book timeline. The eponymous novel catches up with newly widowed Bridget as she tries to establish herself in the dating scene of the 21st century as a woman over 50. When Bridget finds her way onto social media, she begins a flirtatious relationship with a much younger man named Roxter, and more of her typical quirky antics ensue.

It's unclear exactly how much liberty the new film will take with the book's story, but the basic framework is flexible enough to accommodate changes without losing the charm of Fielding's writing. The character of Roxter is a new wrinkle in the equation, and the inclusion of Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver is also a wild card that fans will be eager to learn more about. Regardless of how closely Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy follows its namesake, it will be a welcome return.