For anyone that thought the story was done for the Renée Zellweger rom-com series following the second movie, there’s still at least one more significant Game Of Life moment to cover for the roving reporter in Bridget Jones’s Baby. It doesn’t take a Victorian private detective to work out what the third outing is all about, but hopefully there’ll be enough laughs to make it all worth the effort.
Having had a five year break from the film industry since her last movie release, My Own Love Song, Zellweger will have the challenge of bringing the series back to life. It’s also been twelve years since Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason came out, but the trailer below looks like she’s managed to find the same endearing formula that won over the crowds, if not the critics, the last time around.
Release date
Cinema:
The humps and bumps comedy had its UK release date on Friday the 16th September 2016, which is traditionally a quiet period for cinema. It only really had Daniel Radcliffe and Toni Collette thriller, Imperium, to compete against in the same release weekend in the UK, so it had a pretty clear run for box office success.
DVD, Blu-ray and digital download:
The Bridget Jones’ Baby DVD has been confirmed for a UK release date of Monday the 30th January 2017 and it’ll be available on Blu-ray and to rent as a digital download on the same date. You’ll be able to buy the film first as a digital download a week earlier than the DVD release.
Story
The plot picks up a few years after Edge Of Reason and sadly the happily ever after hasn’t really worked out for Bridget with a big breakup from long-term love Mark Darcy leaving her single once again. Luckily she’s got a successful career as a news producer to take her mind off her romance woes, but there’s a big curve ball heading her way that is about to make everything a lot more complicated.
Firstly, she finds a little new romance with a new man in her life called Jack, but things get heavy when she finds out she’s pregnant and can’t be 100% sure if Jack or Mark is the father. Eek indeed! Inevitably, this causes all sorts of chaos and emotional wrangling for everyone involved, and with Bridget and her anarchic friends at the centre of the fray, you know it’s going to get pretty silly before it all gets worked out. You can see the latest pics from the film at the official Facebook page.
Cast
In addition to Renée Zellweger, the cast also includes Patrick Dempsey (Transformers: Dark Of The Moon) as new suitor Jack Qwant, as well as Colin Firth (Kingsman: The Secret Service) as her previous ‘just as you are’ beau Mark “Winker” Darcy. Sally Phillips returns as Bridget’s best bud Shazza, James Callis stars as her other bestie Tom and Shirley Henderson completes the team of friends as Jude.
Jim Broadbent (BBC War & Peace) plays Bridget’s dad Colin as usual and he’ll be joined by Gemma Jones in the role of his wife Pam. The big name newcomer to the cast is Emma Thomson (A Walk In The Woods), who will be starring as Bridget’s obstetrician, Dr. Rawlings.
DVD and Blu-ray special features:
- Alternate ending
- Gag reel
- Deleted and alternate scenes
- Full Circle: The Making of Bridget Jones’s Baby – A multi-part documentary on the making of Bridget Jones’s Baby featuring interviews with cast and crew including:
- Renée Returns – Renée and the rest of the cast talk about making the new film and what it’s like to reunite after all these years.
- The Difference that 15 Years Makes – The cast, hair and make-up designer Jan Sewell, and costume Designer Steven Noble discuss how the characters have changed over the last 15 years and how that has informed how their style has evolved.
- Bridget’s Boys – Colin and Patrick talk about the dynamic of their love rivalry and their chemistry both on-screen and on set.
- In London, In Love – Production designer John Paul Kelly, Renée and director Sharon Maguire discuss shooting in the big city and re-creating Bridget’s flat.
- Sharon’s Show: The Director – Sharon McQuire, the inspiration for the original Shazzer in the books, as well as director for the film, discusses immersing herself in Bridget’s world and assembling an award-winning team as she returns at the helm of the third film.
Age rating
Bridget Jones’ Baby has been given an age rating of 15 in the UK by the British Board Of Film Classification with “strong language and sex references”.
Production
Sharon McQuire returned to the series to direct the film, having been at the helm for Bridget Jones, but skipping The Edge Of Reason, which was directed by Beeban Kidron. Helen Fielding headed up the writing team behind the plot, which also included Emma Thomson and Dan Mazer. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner have produced the film and Amelia Granger and Liza Chasin are the executive producers.
First impressions
Bridget Jones’s Baby will be a silly, funny, irreverent flick, much in the same way the previous two entries have been, and there’s something to be said for a certain amount of cute comedy. Hopefully, there will be more of the first outing than the second, but with the endearing nature of the series and its main protagonist it’s probably going to be a crowd pleaser for any romantic comedy fans out there.
Unexpected pregnancy and baby movies have thrown up some gems over the years, ranging from the brilliant Three Men And A Baby to the hilarious Knocked Up, so there’s definitely the scope for this to be another big hitter at the box office when it’s released. If it can tap into the same clever situational humour then it should be a big hit come September.
