Renée Zellweger (Judy) has closed a deal to reprise the role that brought her her first Oscar nomination in Universal Pictures and Working Title’s Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Deadline has learned.
Others set to return in the film, from director Michael Morris (To Leslie), include Hugh Grant (Wonka) and Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande). Newcomers to the cast will include Chiwetel Ejiofor (Rob Peace) and Leo Woodall (The White Lotus).
Based on the beloved novels from Helen Fielding, and a previous column she wrote as the title character for The Independent, the rom-com franchise Bridget Jones centers on Zellweger’s endearing yet perpetually single character of the same name, examining her relationships with the dashing Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), and the roguish Daniel Cleaver (Grant), among others. The original film adaptation, Bridget Jones’s Diary, was released in 2001, with follow-ups Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Bridget Jones’s Baby arriving in 2004 and 2016, respectively. The three films together grossed over $760 million worldwide. Introduced in Bridget Jones’s Baby as Jones’s OB/GYN, Dr. Rawling, Thompson also co-wrote the screenplay for that film.
Based on the third book in Fielding’s series, Mad About the Boy picks up with Bridget in her early fifties, as she navigates the challenges of modern life while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood. No word yet as to who Ejiofor and Woodall will be playing. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Jo Wallett will produce through Working Title Films, with Working Title’s Amelia Granger and Sarah-Jane Wright exec producing alongside Fielding.
Senior Executive Vice President of Production Development Erik Baiers and Creative Executive of Production Development Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio. Additionally, numerous trainees of the London Screen Academy will be working on the project across various departments. Pic’s slated for release in theaters internationally and on Peacock in the U.S. on Valentine’s Day 2025.
Picking up her second Oscar in 2020 for her starring turn as Judy Garland in Judy, Zellweger was most recently seen starring as murderer Pam Hupp in NBC’s true-crime drama The Thing About Pam.
Recently, Grant has been seen guest starring opposite Kate Winslet in Max’s The Regime, also taking on the role of the Oompa Loompa in Warner Bros’ Wonka, which has grossed over $625M globally. Up next, he’ll be seen in the Netflix comedy Unfrosted, marking the directorial debut of Jerry Seinfeld.
Recent acting credits for Thompson include Matilda: The Musical, where she played Agatha Trunchbull, as well as Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and Cruella.
Earlier this year, Ejiofor was at Sundance with Rob Peace, his second feature on the heels of 2019’s The Boy Who Harnesed the Wind, in which he also stars. The actor has most recently been tapped for roles in Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaption, The Life of Chuck, as well as Eleanor the Great and Sony’s Venom 3.
Currently starring opposite Ambika Mod on Netflix’s One Day, Woodall broke out prior to that with his memorable role as Jack, the supposed nephew of Tom Hollander’s scheming British expat Quentin, in the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus. Up next, he’ll be seen in James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg, also leading the conspiracy drama series Prime Target for Apple TV+, New Regency and Scott Free.
In addition to To Leslie, his debut feature which brought Andrea Riseborough her first Oscar nominations, directing credits for Morris include Better Call Saul, Extrapolations, Locke & Key, 13 Reasons Why, House of Cards and Bloodline, to name just a few.
Zellweger is repped by CAA and John Carrabino Management; Grant by CAA; Thompson by Hamilton Hodell and CAA; Ejiofor by Markham, Froggatt and Irwin in the UK, CAA in the U.S., and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum; Woodall by Gersh, Hamilton Hodell, Anonymous Content, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Morris by UTA and Paul Hastings LLP; and Fielding by UTA, Independent Talent, and Aitken Alexander.