Renée Zellweger ‘Shed Some Tears’ Over Colin Firth Not Returning For Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy

At long last: Bridget’s back. For nearly two and a half decades now, Bridget Jones has been a British romcom icon – the loveable (if haphazard) Londoner caught up in romantic entanglements spanning from her 30s onwards. The last time we caught up with her, it was for 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby – seeing Renée Zellweger’s former ‘spinster’ become a mum amid a love triangle. There, she (spoiler alert!) finally ended up with Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy, the father of her child. But when we meet up with Bridget again next year in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, nearly ten years on, much has changed. She’s not only a mother of two now – but a widow too. As is the case in the book Mad About The Boy takes its name from, Mark Darcy has passed away.

As such, the fourth Bridget Jones film will be the first without a significant role for Firth – though, as the trailer indicates, his spirit may pop up on occasion. It was a big change for the series’ leading star. “It’s so peculiar because of the connection to this character I’ve come to love,” Zellweger tells Empire in the 2025 Preview issue. “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.”

While there’s tragedy to be found in Bridget’s next chapter, expect all the joy and laughter we know and love from her too – as the romantic hero continues to face love and loss over time. “I love this character,” says Zellweger. “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.” And the fact that she’s back at all is because there’s a story worth telling. “I’m also really protective over her,” Zellweger explains, “and so the quality of the project is always at the forefront.” Bring tissues. And massive pants.

Read Empire’s full Renée Zellweger interview about Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy in Empire’s Ultimate 2025 Preview, led by Andor Season 2 – in the January 2025 issue. Pre-order a copy online here. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy comes to UK cinemas from 14 February.