''Bridget Jones's Baby'' is a 2016
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
film directed by
Sharon Maguire
Sharon Maguire (born 17 August 1960) is a film director best known for directing the romantic comedy film '' Bridget Jones's Diary'' (2001). The film was based on the book of the same name by her close friend, Helen Fielding, and one of the ma ...
from a screenplay by
Helen Fielding
Helen Fielding (born 19 February 1958) is a British journalist, novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of the fictional character Bridget Jones. Fielding’s first novel was set in a refugee camp in East Africa and she started wr ...
,
Dan Mazer
Daniel Gideon Mazer (born 4 October 1971) is a British director, screenwriter, producer, and comedian. He is best known as the long-time writing and production partner of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and worked with him on his three unorthodox cha ...
and
Emma Thompson
Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. Emma Thompson on screen and stage, Her work spans over four decades of screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Emma Thompson, her accola ...
, based on a story by Fielding. It is the sequel to ''
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'' (2004) and the third installment in the
''Bridget Jones'' film series. The film once again stars
Renée Zellweger
Renée Kathleen Zellweger ( ; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Renée Zellweger, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four ...
as
Bridget Jones, who is shocked when she finds out she is pregnant and must deduce which of her two recent loves is the father, lawyer Mark Darcy (
Colin Firth
Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Colin Firth, several accolades, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA Aw ...
, also reprising his role) or mathematician Jack Qwant (
Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and racing driver best known for playing neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–15; 2020–21). He is also known for his leading man romantic film roles, such ...
), all while trying to hide one from the other.
The film marked Zellweger's return to the screen after a six-year hiatus. ''Bridget Jones's Baby'' premiered at the
Odeon Leicester Square
The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square is a prominent cinema building in the West End of London. Built in the Art Deco style and completed in 1937, the building has been continually altered in response to developments in cinema technology, and was the ...
in London on 5 September 2016 and was released in the United Kingdom and United States on 16 September. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $211 million worldwide against a production budget of $35 million. ''Bridget Jones's Baby'' was nominated for a
European Film Academy Lux Award and a
Globe de Cristal Awards for Best Foreign Film. A sequel, ''
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy'', was released in 2025.
Plot
On her forty-third birthday, Bridget Jones attends the memorial of her ex Daniel Cleaver, presumed dead after a plane crash. She encounters her other ex, Mark Darcy, with his wife Camilla.
Bridget now works as a television producer and is close friends with co-worker Miranda. After spending her birthday alone, Bridget decides to embrace single life, accepting Miranda's offer to go to a music festival where she meets a handsome man, Jack. That evening, a drunk Bridget crawls into his
yurt
A yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger (Mongolian language, Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered and Thermal insulation, insulated with Hide (skin), skins or felt and traditionally used as a dwelling by several distinct Nomad, nomad ...
, thinking it is hers and Miranda's. He invites her to stay and they have a
one-night stand
A one-night stand is a single sexual encounter in which there is no expectation that there shall be any further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single night performanc ...
. In the morning, waking alone, Bridget leaves, unaware Jack is out getting breakfast for them.
Returning home, Bridget goes to her friend Jude's new baby's christening, where she is the godmother and Mark has been asked to be the godfather at the last minute. He tells her he and Camilla are divorcing and Camilla was only at the funeral for moral support. Realising they are still in love, Bridget and Mark spend the night together. Bridget exits before he wakes up, leaving a note telling him she fears reconnecting will repeat their past mistakes.
Weeks later, Bridget discovers she is pregnant. She decides to keep the baby despite being single. After a visit to Dr Rawlings' clinic, she realises the father could be Mark or Jack. She is unable to contact Jack until Miranda spots him in a television ad and discovers he is billionaire mathematician Jack Qwant, creator of a dating website.
Bridget and Miranda conspire to have Jack as a guest on their news show to obtain DNA samples. Although Bridget tries to stay incognito, he recognises her and asks why she left after their night together. She apologises, blurting out that she is pregnant, without mentioning Mark. Initially taken aback, Jack later throws himself into the role of father. Bridget also tells Mark the news; he is so thrilled that she cannot bear to tell him about Jack. Dr Rawlings proposes an
amniocentesis
Amniocentesis is a medical procedure used primarily in the prenatal diagnosis of genetic conditions. It has other uses such as in the assessment of infection and fetal lung maturity. Prenatal diagnostic testing, which includes amniocentesis, is ...
DNA test, but Bridget decides not to, as she fears the risk of miscarriage.
Bridget invites Jack to a work event, and is startled when Mark also shows up. The three go out to dinner, where Bridget finally admits she is unsure who the father is. Although disappointed, Jack takes the news well, but Mark is upset and walks out, though he eventually becomes supportive, and the trio attend prenatal classes. Mark and Jack eventually become jealous of each other's bond with Bridget and try to one-up each other.
Mark becomes increasingly envious of Bridget and Jack's close relationship and is devastated when Jack lets Mark believe he and Bridget had unprotected sex, making it more likely for Jack to be the father. Mark leaves, ignoring Bridget's calls. Jack asks her to move in, but he eventually confesses what he told Mark. Upset, Bridget rushes to tell Mark, but seeing Camilla arriving at his house, she walks away.
Nine months into her pregnancy, Bridget finds herself locked out in the rain. Mark arrives and breaks into the flat for her. He tells her that Camilla was at his house to pick up the last of her belongings. Just as they are about to kiss, her water breaks. When his mobile rings, Mark romantically throws it out the window, leaving them without means to call help. They eventually make it to the hospital with help from a pizza delivery man and Jack. Jack later apologises to Mark for his behaviour. Bridget gives birth to a healthy baby boy, whom she names William, and her friends and parents visit, her mother coming from a parish-council election she had just won with Bridget's help in liberalising her campaign. Dr Rawlings takes Mark and Jack away to perform the DNA test, and they genuinely wish each other luck.
A year later, Bridget marries Mark, baby William's father. Jack is the
best man
A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be selected. From his groomsmen, the groom usuall ...
, showing no sign of resentment or jealousy, happily playing with William. Bridget expresses her contentment that everything worked out. A newspaper headline reveals that Daniel has been found alive.
Cast
Production
Development
In July 2009, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' announced that a third ''
Bridget Jones'' film was in the early stages of development.
Working Title Films
Working Title Films Limited, formerly Visionensure Limited and Working Title Limited, is a British film and television production company that is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, which is itself a division of Comcast. The company was founded by ...
confirmed that it would not be based on
Helen Fielding
Helen Fielding (born 19 February 1958) is a British journalist, novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of the fictional character Bridget Jones. Fielding’s first novel was set in a refugee camp in East Africa and she started wr ...
's third ''Bridget Jones'' novel, but instead would be based on the columns she wrote for ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' in 2005.
On 1 March 2011, it was reported that both
Renée Zellweger
Renée Kathleen Zellweger ( ; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Renée Zellweger, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four ...
and
Colin Firth
Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Colin Firth, several accolades, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA Aw ...
were interested in reprising their roles. In July 2011,
Paul Feig was in final talks to direct the film based on the script by author Fielding. On 11 August 2011,
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to:
* Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate
** Universal Pictures, an American film studio
** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex
* Various theme parks operat ...
and Working Title greenlit the third film. On 4 October 2011, ''Deadline'' reported that Feig had exited the project due to creative differences with Working Title, and Feig had also worked on the recent draft of the script.
Production was slated to begin in January 2012 with the returning cast including Zellweger, Firth, and
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a character actor. He has received List of awards ...
.
On 30 November 2011,
Peter Cattaneo
Peter Joseph Cattaneo Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 1 July 1964) is a British filmmaker. He is most known for directing the comedy film ''The Full Monty'', for which he won the MTV Movie Award for Best New F ...
came on board to direct the sequel, newly titled ''"Bridget Jones's Baby"'' from a script by Fielding, Feig, and
David Nicholls.
Producers on board were
Tim Bevan
Timothy John Bevan, (born 20 December 1957) is a New Zealand-British film producer, the co-chairman (with Eric Fellner) of the production company Working Title Films. Bevan and Fellner are the most successful British producers of their era. Thr ...
and
Eric Fellner
Eric Nigel Fellner, (born 10 October 1959) is a British film producer. He is the co-chairman (along with Tim Bevan) of the production company Working Title Films.
Early life and education
Fellner was born in England. From 1972 to 1977, he w ...
of Working Title, along with
Jonathan Cavendish of Little Bird.
The production was delayed due to creative differences between the script of the film and actors, especially Grant as he reportedly disliked the script and left the project, though this was denied by producer Bevan.
However, the producer confirmed that they were working on the script and the film would be made as planned.
In April 2013, Firth spoke to the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'', stating "unfortunately, it might be a bit of a long wait", and he said he "wouldn't say that it's completely dead in the water, but the way it's going, you might be seeing Bridget Jones's granddaughter's story being told by the time we get there."
In an interview on 10 October 2014, Grant mentioned an existing script for a sequel, though he also expressed his dislike for it, and stated that he would not star in the third film. In a 2024 interview, Grant also stated he couldn't find a place to fit in the film. Later in the next week, producers hired
Emma Thompson
Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. Emma Thompson on screen and stage, Her work spans over four decades of screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Emma Thompson, her accola ...
to rewrite the original script written by Fielding and Nicholls.
Gemma Jones
Jennifer "Gemma" Jones (born 4 December 1942) is an English actress. Appearing on both stage and screen, her film appearances include ''Sense and Sensibility (film), Sense and Sensibility'' (1995), the Bridget Jones (film series), ''Bridget Jo ...
and
Jim Broadbent
James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1972, he came to prominence as a character actor for his many roles in film and television. He has received various accolades ...
were in talks to return for the third film to join the cast. On 9 September 2015,
Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and racing driver best known for playing neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–15; 2020–21). He is also known for his leading man romantic film roles, such ...
joined the cast of the film.
Filming
Filming for a short period began in July 2015 in
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, where the first scenes for the film were shot at
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
's concert at
Croke Park
Croke Park (, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic At ...
.
Official
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
with the actual cast began on 2 October 2015 in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
The Television Studio interior scenes, the Hospital Ward interiors and various other scenes were shot on Stages 5 and 6 at
West London Film Studios.
On 13 October 2015, shooting was taking place at
Borough Market
Borough Market is a wholesale and retail market hall in Southwark, London, England. It is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, with a market on the site dating back to at least the 12th century. The present buildings were built ...
, and later in October in
Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of to the south of the town of Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, Windsor, Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park ...
, at Rosy Bottom.
Filming wrapped up on 27 November 2015. Reshoots took place for one week starting 8 January 2016.
Soundtrack
Release
In October 2015, ''Bridget Jones's Baby'' was set for a 16 September 2016 release.
On 23 March the first trailer was released. Like the previous two films, the movie received an R rating in the United States.
Zellweger's physical appearance in the trailer for the film rekindled a debate about the possibility that Zellweger had plastic surgery, which began in 2014 when she re-emerged from a long hiatus. An editorial focused on the trailer for the film by ''Variety'' critic Owen Gleiberman titled "Renee Zellweger: If She No Longer Looks Like Herself, Has She Become a Different Actress?" prompted a response from Zellweger, who called the scrutiny over her appearance "sexist" and attributing her difference in appearance solely to "ageing," and wrote an open essay explaining her response in the weeks before the film's release.
Box office
''Bridget Jones's Baby'' grossed $212 million worldwide, including $24.1 million in the United States and Canada and $60 million in the United Kingdom, against a budget of $35 million.
The film was released in North America on 16 September 2016 and was projected to gross $12–16 million in its opening weekend from 2,927 theaters.
It made $364,000 from its Thursday night previews and $3 million on its first day. In total, the film made $8.2 million in its opening weekend, falling below projections and scoring the lowest opening of the series.
Internationally, where
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
handled most of the releases, the film fared better and especially in the UK where the previous two installments registered the biggest grossers. It debuted day-and-date in conjuncture with its North American release in 41 countries, including big markets like the UK and Ireland, Russia, Australia, Mexico and Spain in its opening weekend.
The film will be released in a total of 62 countries.
It scored the biggest opening day in the franchise in the UK, the Netherlands and Latin America including Mexico, Panama and Peru, and had number-one opening days in the UK, Australia, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa and Ukraine.
Through Sunday, 18 September, it had an opening weekend of $29.9 million from 39 markets and debuted at number one in 24 of them.
It was in second place at the box office, behind ''
A Chinese Odyssey Part Three''. It topped the international box office in its second weekend, earning $21.9 million from 47 markets.
It recorded the biggest debut in the franchise and had number-one openings in certain markets like Australia ($4.2 million), the Netherlands ($1.9 million), Spain ($1.7 million), Iceland and New Zealand and bowed at second place in France ($3.7 million) and Russia ($1.4 million).
In the United Kingdom and Ireland – the biggest market for the first two films – the film opened on Friday, 16 September, and recorded the biggest comedy/romantic comedy opening day ever, as well as the biggest Working Title and September opening of all time with $4 million at 641 theaters.
It went on to score a record breaking £8.11 million ($10.5 million) opening and dominated 57% of the total market share which is the biggest romantic comedy opening weekend ever in the UK; the biggest opening weekend ever for Working Title; and the biggest September launch weekend of all time.
Excluding previews, the film has the seventh biggest debut of the year.
The film fell just 20% in its second weekend to £6.4 million ($8.3 million) and continued to lead the box office for the third consecutive weekend, despite the influx of a row of competitions.
After three straight wins, it was surpassed by ''
The Girl on the Train'' in its fourth weekend.
It broke a number of records including the fastest romantic comedy to earn £30 million, doing so on its seventeenth day (the first film took 31 days and the second film took 24 days). It has so far grossed a total of $54 million there becoming the biggest market outside of North America like its predecessors.
Adjusted for inflation it is the lowest-grossing film behind both the films (£73.1 million and £57.8 million respectively).
After 31 days of playing in theaters, the film became the biggest film in the franchise in the United Kingdom with £42.24 million, surpassing the first film's final gross of £42 million. It currently sits as the third biggest film of 2016 behind ''
Finding Dory
''Finding Dory'' is a 2016 American animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Angus MacLane, produced by Lindsey Collins, and written b ...
'' (£42.25 million) and ''
The Jungle Book
''The Jungle Book'' is an 1894 collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who ...
'' (£46.1 million). In Netherlands, it is the highest-grossing Working Title picture of all time with $8.1 million — passing ''
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a wikt:cosmopolitan, cosmopolitan and multiculturalism, multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting ...
'' (1999), which held the record for 17 years.
Reception
''Bridget Jones's Baby'' received generally positive reviews from critics. On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film has an approval rating of 78%, based on 209 reviews, with an
average rating of 6.33/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Bridget Jones's Baby'' might be late on arrival, but fans of the series should still find its third installment a bouncing bundle of joy." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a score 59 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data.
Background
Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Accolades
Sequel
In October 2022, Fielding told the ''
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' that a sequel was in the works and would loosely adapt her 2013 novel ''Mad About the Boy''.
In April 2024, the sequel was confirmed, with Zellweger and Thompson returning and
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a character actor. He has received List of awards ...
reprising his role from the second installment.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Bridget Jones's Baby' at the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
Official screenplay
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridget Jones's Baby
Bridget Jones
2016 films
2016 romantic comedy films
2010s American films
2010s British films
2010s English-language films
2010s French films
2010s pregnancy films
American pregnancy films
American romantic comedy films
American sequel films
British pregnancy films
British romantic comedy films
British sequel films
English-language French films
English-language romantic comedy films
Films directed by Sharon Maguire
Films produced by Eric Fellner
Films produced by Tim Bevan
Films scored by Craig Armstrong (composer)
Films set in London
Films shot at Pinewood Studios
Films shot in Berkshire
Films shot in Buckinghamshire
Films shot in London
Films shot in the Republic of Ireland
Films with screenplays by Dan Mazer
Films with screenplays by Emma Thompson
French romantic comedy films
French sequel films
Miramax films
Perfect World Pictures films
StudioCanal films
Universal Pictures films
Working Title Films films