Bridget Jones sequel revealed for 2025 — but there’s a big catch

Another Bridget Jones sequel is in the works for a 2025 Valentine’s Day release date, but the new installment might lack a key star from the film series and a theatrical release in a big market.

The fourth installment in the Bridget Jones film series, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” has been announced by Universal Pictures and Working Title. Renée Zellweger is set to reprise her role as the titular character along with the return of Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson.

Colin Firth, who plays Mark Darcy, has not been confirmed yet as a part of the cast for the fourth film. The actor has played a key role in the three previous films as Jones’ on-off-again lover, but he might not be a part of the third sequel if the screenplay follows the book’s plot closely.

The 2013 book removes Darcy from the narrative, and as such, Firth might not be in the mix. The actor could appear in a flashback or in photos similar to Hugh Grant’s short cameo in the third film, but nothing is known about his status with the project at the time of writing.

Other stars attached to the project include Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall.

The second wrinkle with the romantic comedy is its theatrical release. The movie is set to release in theaters outside of the United States on Valentine’s Day in 2025. However, the movie will only get a steaming release on Peacock inside the U.S. Whether this means the movie will not appear in some form of limited release in the country is unknown, but for now, it looks like fans of the series will only be able to watch the next installment at home.

The author of the book series the movies are based on, Helen Fielding (who is also a screenwriter on the series), revealed that the film was in the works in a 2022 podcast interview interview. Longtime television director Michael Morris is set to direct the film.