Confession time: I actually love the Bridget Jones books and films. Even though I thought both the sequel book and film were rather cheesy, I still like the Bridget character, and I like how Renee Zellweger plays her. Although Renee has been in several films I adore, I tend to think Bridget Jones might be the one character Renee has created that will stand the test of time.
The whole Bridget Jones franchise has probably accumulated somewhere in the vicinity of $400-500 million. It’s like the girly version of Die Hard. And Hollywood kept churning out those Die Hard films, so I guess they thought, why not churn out another Bridget Jones movie? That’s just what Variety (story via People) is claiming:
Haul out the biscuits and gravy, crispy duck, Snickers, milk shakes, pizza and butter-soaked potatoes – Renee Zellweger’s very special diet to get in shape to play Bridget Jones, because the Oscar winner is prepping to play the full-figured singleton once again.
Zellweger, 40, is expected to start filming at the end of this year what will be the third installment about the love-starved British publishing executive, Variety reports.
This time, the story will likely focus on 40-ish Bridget’s desire to have a baby before time runs out, as based on author Helen Fielding’s weekly newspaper columns for Britain’s the Independent, says the showbiz trade publication.
The Oscar winner for Cold Mountain, who was nominated for 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and also starred in the 2004 sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, recently spelled out what she desires in a man, saying: “I’m looking for an encyclopedia and a dictionary. A bit of the Boy Scouts Handbook. A person who is conscientious about the trail he leaves behind him. Love. Unconditional kindness.”
[From People]
Lord, I really hope Colin Firth comes on to this one… and why wouldn’t he? Bridget better be trying to have a baby with Mark Darcy and not Daniel Cleaver. Personally, I love how smarmy Hugh Grant is in these films (and probably, in life) but it always bothers me how Bridget can’t see what a wanker Daniel is. He always sweet-talks her. It sucks, but it’s probably realistic, I suppose.
So, what do you think? Is the Bridget Jones character stale? And even if it is, shouldn’t women have the same opportunity to see a girly franchise like the guys had with Die Hard? Will Renee still looks cute (perhaps better) with the added weight?
Renee Zellweger is shown at the Metropolitan Opera on 5/18/09. Credit: WENN.com. Other photos are from the 2004 Bridget Jones sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason thanks to AllMoviePhoto
YES!!!
I hope she doesn’t gain as much as she did for BJ II. In the first movie she was perfect!
I’m very exicted for this movie, but I can’t help but think that Renee is going to have a heart attack from this insane yoyo dieting.
The Bridget Jones movies raised the bar for other British chic lit book-movies…Shoppaholic failed miserably.
More Bridget Jones?
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I think it’s extremely frightening to see these actors lose and gain weight for roles. How much damage are they doing to themselves – all for a movie? One day the weight just won’t come of or, they’ll be so frail and won’t be able to eat at all – Judy Garland is an excellent example of diet yo-yo ing and the damage done.
YES! DO it do it do it!!!
Bridget plays a role in these movies that we never get to see as the heroin. I love seeing a dippy, chubby, goofy woman with all the insecurities of a normal woman on the big screen. That never happens unless she’s being made fun of. I love Bridget Jones and would be her best friend in real life. She’s the kind of character that most women can really relate to. I say keep um commin!
Renee is rocking this dress! Love!
Back on topic: Although I love the Bridget films, I’m wondering what else they can do to this character? Didn’t they already touch on the pregnancy thing in the last film?
ANOTHER BRIDGET JONES MOVIE???!!!!
THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE MADE THE SEQUEL! NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, THE FIRST PART WAS ALREADY A MISTAKE.
OH WELL….
love the zellwegger, firth, grant combo.
so i’m a YES
also, I Love Renee in the movie Cinderella Man!
oh no, the first one was great and one of those films i can re watch a lot. The 2nd one was terrible, over acted and just awful, the 3rd i doubt will be any better.
Love Bridget Jones. v, v, excited for a third installment.
You can find all the columns on-line. I have been slowly working my way through them. Apparently she and Mark Darcy do have a baby but they split up again.
She’s kind of pegged as your Average Jane looking heroine in this series right? And it kind of strikes me as plumfuckingannoyingashell that in order to do this, she’s got to put on 20 lbs. She’s more average than before because she’s heftier? What kind of message are we sending?
I agree with Berry. AND, can she please have her hair styled in this one? It was very distracting how messy she looked in II.
i actually remember renee quoted a few years back that she would not do another one,precisely b/c of the weight gain and loss. she found it too hard on her body. [not too hard to do,but how it affected her].
i guess it’s like childbirth-give it a few years and you’re coming back for me…
i think renee looks better at the bridget jones weight (at least the 1st one…didn’t see the 2nd one). i don’t think the weight makes bridget more “avergage” as someone said, but the average woman is forever trying to get off 10 pounds, and at renee’s present size 0 that is not realistic. i liked the movie, it made me laugh and i thought it was relatable. how many of us have air guitared while shitfaced, eaten junk food all day when depressed or flirted with someone we know we shouldn’t (office scoundrel)? i love colin firth – yum. i didn’t see/read the sequels – heard they were both bad.
The 2nd one irritated me. She didn’t look slightly overweight and imperfect. She looked very overweight and like someone who never washes or combs her hair.
The 1st movie was perfect. She looked average but didn’t look like a woman who had entirely let herself go.
If Renee doesn’t mind the weight gain…and she never gains enough to seriously damage her health (though her method of gaining it is pretty damaging)…I’d watch a 3rd one. Why not?
I don’t think this movie will do so well. I mean the whole Bridget Jones thing is based on the challenges of an average woman with low self-esteem finding self-worth and true love. Now that she’s married her story won’t have as much appeal.
This makes me want to watch Die Hard.
@Irm – true. She said this again less than a year ago.
Can’t believe Working Title are doing this. The original was great, it worked for Renee at a time when she was prepared to pile on the pounds, integral to the character, in order to be Bridget. Then the sequel took all the good stuff from the original, pissed it straight down the drain and killed it stone dead.
WT must be really running out of ideas.
Renee looks smashing in that long silver dress! No sucking-sour-lemons face!
I thought the first BJ movie was perfect in every way! I agree that she put on too much weight for the second movie.
I hope Colin Firth and Hugh Grant and all her pals will be back if there is another one made.
WOW! I guess they are offering her more than ever now, she did say no more..
Welp, loking forward to a few laughs I can relate to..
sooooooo excited. miss bridget is the one that got me started using the very practical substitution of v for very. however, if the delicious dreamboat colin firth does not return it won’t be the same. and maybe being forty now, renee won’t be able to lose the weight so quickly after, she looks so much better with those extra healthy lbs.
She should gain the weight and KEEP it on.
I hope it is better than the last movie. I agree with kate. she needs some meat on her bones to look younger.
Yippy, I love Renee!
I’ll watch anything with Colin Firth in it, the man could read me the phone book and I’d still watch.
But I especially love Bridget Jones so this’ll be one I’m going to watch!
Good LORD. I hate that she was supposed to be FAT in the first film. That’s fat? Really?
Secondly, that sucking on a lemon face that she thinks is acting annoys me so much I can’t see movies with her in it anymore.
That’s just it, anastasiabea…She’s not supposed to be fat.
She’s supposed to be an average woman with a few pesky pounds that she periodically obsesses about in funny ways.
She’s not supposed to be fat and slobby and dirty and limp-hair-didn’t-take-a-shower-all-week looking.
She looked perfect in the first film.
I like her better with the weight on so anything that makes her look like a real person instead of a bobble head is fine by me. I’ll watch it.
Полезная статья, большое спасибо автору, буду старатся чаще сюда заходить))