Hugh Grant says new Bridget Jones film is "very sad"
Bridget Jones's Diary star Hugh Grant has called the upcoming film "very, very sad".
The actor has reprised his iconic role as Daniel Cleaver in the fourth instalment of the franchise, which will be released on February 14, 2025.
Based on Helen Fielding's third novel, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy will see Bridget (Renée Zellweger) navigating motherhood alone with her two children, following the death of husband Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).
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Though the franchise is known for its hilarious and awkward events, Grant shared that the latest plot will be based on Fielding's real-life tragedy.
"She had a sad story," he said whilst appearing on The Graham Norton Show. "She got married to an American screenwriter, she had children and then he died."
Grant explained that Fielding had started writing a novel about a woman raising children by herself. She then realised that the main character was "a bit like Bridget".
"So she made it into a Bridget Jones book," he said. "And as well as being extremely funny, it's very, very sad."
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After not appearing in Bridget Jones's Baby, the star initially felt there was "absolutely no role" for his character in the fourth film, either. "But they wanted to cram me in," he said.
Grant's character proved himself to be a serial womaniser in the first two films, but the actor said he was unsure about the storyline for Daniel in Mad About The Boy.
"I felt that what they proposed was fine, but not great. 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," he explained. "So we invented a rather good – I invented a rather good – interim story.
"It's actually a very good and moving script. And I say that as someone who's horrid about scripts. This was brilliant," he added.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy will be released in cinemas on February 14, 2025. The first three Bridget Jones' films are available to stream now on Netflix.
Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
