Hugh Grant returns for a poignant new chapter in Bridget Jones
"Bridget Jones" has been making us laugh to the point of tears for years. In the latest fourth installment of the hit series, there will be plenty of tears, too, but this time for a completely different reason. Hugh Grant revealed that it will be an exceptionally sad part of the cult film series.
Hugh Grant has attempted for some time to break away from his image of romantic characters by playing anti-heroes in films such as "Paddington 2" or the latest A24 horror "Heretic". Soon, however, he will return to one of the roles that made him a legend in romantic comedies. The actor will once again play the role of Daniel Cleaver in the announced fourth instalment 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 this iconic series. He mentioned that although the latest film will be traditionally funny, it will also bring elements with a deeper emotional foundation. "As always, it's very funny, but also very, very sad," the actor said, adding that his character initially did not have a role in this production.
In the first two films, produced in 2001 and 2004, Cleaver was Mark Darcy's (Colin Firth) romantic rival for Bridget Jones's (Renée Zellweger) affections. However, in Helen Fielding's latest book, "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 emphasised that the script, adapted by Fielding, is unique.
"It's actually a very good and moving script," the star noted. "And I say that as someone who's horrid about scripts. This was brilliant," he added.
The plot of the new film revolves around Bridget's life after her husband's death, which, according to Grant, reflects the author's personal experiences. Fielding raised her children on her own after the loss of her husband.
Despite the challenges of incorporating Cleaver's character into this new context, Grant suggested some changes to the script. He wanted his character, now older, to have a more complex storyline.
"And I felt that he needed a third dimension, he's in his 60s now, you can't just have him smoothing his way down King's Road eyeing up young girls. Something needs to have happened to him in the interim. So we invented a rather good - I invented a rather good - interim story," Grant confessed.
The film will also feature new characters played by Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave") and Leo Woodall ("One Day"), who will likely play new potential partners for Bridget, who is re-entering the dating world. The "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" premiere is on Valentine's Day 2025 at 12:00 GMT.
