"Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy" premiers just in time for Valentine's

The Real Perspectives

February 14, 2025

A lot has happened since Helen Fielding anonymously wrote about Bridget Jones in The Independent in 1995. Thirty years later, "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy" is the fourth chapter in the "Bridget Jones" rom-com franchise. Based on the Helen Fielding novels and adapted from a screenplay by Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Abi Morgan, Renée Zellweger reprises her role as the hopelessly romantic titular character. The film premiered on Peacock and Universal Pictures internationally on February 14.

Since 2001, with the release of the first movie, "Bridget Jones Diary," Bridget has been entertaining viewers and capturing our hearts with her relationship angst caught between Colin Firth's Darcy and Hugh Grant's Cleaver. The commercial success of the first movie led to the sequels "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" and "Bridget Jones' Baby," which saw Bridget caught in a "who's the daddy" baby drama but ultimately finds her happy ending when Mark was revealed to be the father and the two finally and we do mean finally tied the knot! But in true Bridget Jones fashion, the movie ended on a cliffhanger when it was revealed that Daniel Cleaver was alive. In "Mad About The Boy," a recently widowed Bridget must juggle work, parenthood, and romance. With the help of her loyal friends, Bridget navigates encounters with a younger man—and a series of awkward interactions with her son's science teacher—as she strives to forge a new path toward life and love. To make things more interesting and ramp up the nostalgia,  Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and Emma Thompson reprise their roles from the previous films.

Universal Pictures

Directed by Michael Morris, executive producers are Helen Fielding, Renée Zellweger, Amelia Granger, and Sarah-Jane Wright.

The series stars:

• Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones

• Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver

• Emma Thompson as Doctor Rawlings

• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mr. Wallaker

• Leo Woodall as Roxster

• Colin Firth as Mark Darcy

• Jim Broadbent as Colin Jones,

• Gemma Jones as Pamela Jones,

• Isla Fisher as Rebecca,

• Josette Simon as Talitha

• Nico Parker as Chloe

• Leila Farzad as Nicolette

• Sarah Solemani as Miranda

• Sally Phillips as Sharon "Shazzer"

• Shirley Henderson as Jude

• James Callis as Tom

• Celia Imrie as Una Alconbury

• Ian Midlane as Paul

Viewers have seen Bridget search for love with every relationship satire and misfire every modern woman has been through, however in "Mad About The Boy," Bridget has evolved and matured, suffering the loss of her husband and bearing the responsibility of raising two kids as a single parent. This is new territory for Bridget, and it's the most mature we have seen her as she deals with grief for the first time. How she deals with that loss makes "Mad About The Boy" stand out from previous films as the movie tackles deeper levels of drama and independence for Bridget with all the rom-com staples Bridget Jones is known for. Having seen all four films in the franchise, "Mad About The Boy" is a must-see for this Valentine's Day holiday.

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Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is currently streaming on Peacock and available in theaters.

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