Bridget Jones's Baby

Bridget Jones's Baby

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2016 (2016)
Founder	Sharon Maguire (director), Helen Fielding (writer), Dan Mazer (writer), Emma Thompson (writer)
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Products	Romantic comedy film
Parent	Working Title Films, Universal Studios

Bridget Jones's Baby is a 2016 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire and written by Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Emma Thompson, based on a narrative created by Fielding. As the third entry in the Bridget Jones franchise, it centers on Renée Zellweger's character, Bridget Jones, who discovers she is expecting and must figure out whether the father is her lawyer ex, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), or Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey), a mathematician, all while keeping them apart.

This movie marked Zellweger’s comeback following a six-year break from acting. It premiered at London's Odeon Leicester Square on 5 September 2016 and was subsequently released in both the UK and US on 16 September. Produced with a budget of $35 million, Bridget Jones's Baby earned over $211 million globally and was met with generally favorable reviews from critics. The film received nominations for the European Film Academy Lux Award and the Globe de Cristal Awards for Best Foreign Film. A follow-up, titled Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was released in 2025.

Plot

On her forty-third birthday, Bridget Jones attends a memorial service for her former partner, Daniel Cleaver, who is believed to have died in a plane accident. There, she unexpectedly runs into another ex, Mark Darcy, who is now separated from his wife Camilla.

Bridget works as a television producer and shares a close friendship with her colleague Miranda. After spending her birthday alone, she embraces singlehood and joins Miranda at a music festival where she meets Jack. That evening, an intoxicated Bridget accidentally enters Jack’s yurt, resulting in a one-night encounter. The following morning, unaware that Jack has gone out to get breakfast, she leaves on her own.

At the christening of her friend Jude’s baby—where Bridget serves as godmother and Mark steps in as godfather at the last minute—Mark reveals he is divorcing Camilla. Recognizing lingering feelings between them, Bridget and Mark spend the night together; however, she departs before he wakes to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Several weeks later, Bridget finds out she is pregnant and chooses to keep the child despite being single. Uncertain whether Mark or Jack is the father, she discovers that Jack is billionaire mathematician Jack Qwant, founder of a dating website. Together with Miranda, Bridget arranges for Jack to appear on their news program to collect DNA samples. Upon learning of Bridget’s pregnancy, Jack warmly embraces the idea of becoming a father.

Bridget informs Mark about the pregnancy; he is delighted but unaware of Jack’s involvement. She refuses to undergo an amniocentesis test due to its miscarriage risks. At a work event attended by both men, Bridget admits she does not know who the father is. Jack accepts this uncertainty; Mark initially reacts negatively but later offers his support. The three attend prenatal classes together, though tension and jealousy begin to surface between Mark and Jack.

Mark becomes jealous of Bridget’s growing closeness with Jack and leaves after Jack deceives him into believing he had unprotected sex with Bridget. Jack then asks Bridget to move in with him but admits to his earlier dishonesty. Hurt by this revelation, Bridget attempts to contact Mark but leaves when Camilla arrives at his residence.

Nine months pregnant and locked out in the rain, Bridget is let back into her apartment by Mark breaking in. As they prepare to share a kiss, her water breaks. When Mark’s phone rings during this moment, he throws it out of the window, leaving them unable to call for assistance. With help from a pizza deliveryman and Jack, they reach the hospital. Jack apologizes to Mark for his previous conduct. Bridget delivers a healthy baby boy named William. Dr Rawlings takes Mark and Jack for DNA testing; both men wish each other well.

One year later, Bridget marries Mark, William’s father. Jack serves as best man without any resentment and forms a joyful bond with William. Bridget expresses happiness as news breaks that Daniel is still alive.

Development

In July 2009, Variety revealed that early preparations were underway for a third installment of the Bridget Jones series. Working Title Films confirmed the new movie would not be an adaptation of Helen Fielding’s third novel but would instead draw inspiration from her 2005 columns published in The Independent.

By March 2011, both Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth had expressed willingness to return to their iconic roles. In July of that year, Paul Feig entered advanced negotiations to direct the film based on Fielding’s screenplay. The project received approval from Universal Studios and Working Title in August 2011. Despite contributing to the script draft, Feig departed in October due to creative disagreements. The production was slated to begin in January 2012, with Zellweger, Firth, and Hugh Grant expected to reprise their characters.

On 30 November 2011, Peter Cattaneo was appointed director of the retitled Bridget Jones's Baby, with a screenplay penned by Fielding, Feig, and David Nicholls. The film encountered setbacks related to script disputes and Hugh Grant’s reported dissatisfaction; however, producer Tim Bevan denied that Grant’s exit was connected to the screenplay issues. The producers confirmed ongoing revisions and intentions to move forward.

In April 2013, Firth mentioned that production would likely be delayed for an extended period. By October 2014, Grant publicly declined involvement, citing his dislike for the current script; he reiterated in a 2024 interview that he could not identify a suitable role within the film. Consequently, the producers brought on Emma Thompson to revise the original screenplay written by Fielding and Nicholls.

Negotiations were underway for Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent to return for the third film. On 9 September 2015, Patrick Dempsey was cast, indicating renewed progress toward production.

Filming

Filming briefly commenced in Dublin in July 2015, capturing footage during Ed Sheeran's concert at Croke Park. Principal photography officially started on 2 October 2015 in London. Interior scenes such as those set in the Television Studio and Hospital Ward were shot on Stages 5 and 6 at West London Film Studios. On 13 October, filming took place at Borough Market, with additional scenes later shot at Windsor Great Park, particularly in Rosy Bottom. Production concluded on 27 November 2015, with reshoots scheduled for a week beginning 8 January 2016.

Release

Bridget Jones's Baby was initially set for release on 16 September 2016. The first official trailer premiered on 23 March. Similar to its predecessors, the film received an R rating in the United States.

Zellweger’s appearance in the trailer sparked renewed debate concerning possible cosmetic surgery—a conversation that had arisen when she returned from a break in 2014. Owen Gleiberman of Variety questioned whether her altered look impacted her identity as an actress. Zellweger responded by labeling such scrutiny as "sexist," attributing her changed appearance to natural aging, and published an open letter addressing these issues shortly before the film’s release.

Box office

Bridget Jones's Baby accumulated a global box office total of $212 million, which included $24.1 million from the United States and Canada and $60 million from the United Kingdom, against a production budget of $35 million.

The film premiered in North America on 16 September 2016, with initial forecasts estimating an opening weekend revenue between $12 million and $16 million from 2,927 theaters. It earned $364,000 during Thursday night previews and generated $3 million on its first day, culminating in an $8.2 million opening weekend—falling short of expectations and marking the lowest debut within the series.

On the international front, where Universal Pictures oversaw most distribution efforts, the movie fared better, particularly in the UK, which remains the franchise’s largest market. Simultaneous releases occurred across 41 countries, including key territories such as the UK, Ireland, Russia, Australia, Mexico, and Spain. The overall release plan covered 62 countries. The film achieved franchise-best opening day figures in the UK, Netherlands, and Latin America and secured number-one box office positions in several nations including Australia ($4.2 million), Spain ($1.7 million), and New Zealand. During its first weekend overseas, it amassed $29.9 million from 39 markets, ranking second worldwide behind A Chinese Odyssey Part Three. In its second international weekend, it topped the global box office with $21.9 million from 47 territories.

Within the UK and Ireland markets, Bridget Jones's Baby set new records for comedy and romantic comedy opening days with $4 million across 641 theaters. Its opening weekend brought in a record £8.11 million ($10.5 million), capturing a commanding 57% share of the market—the highest-ever romantic comedy opening weekend in UK history and Working Title’s largest launch to date. Excluding preview earnings, this debut was the seventh largest of the year. The film experienced a modest 20% decline in its second weekend to £6.4 million ($8.3 million) and remained at number one for three consecutive weeks before being overtaken by The Girl on the Train during its fourth weekend. It became the fastest romantic comedy to reach £30 million at the UK box office, achieving this milestone in just 17 days—significantly quicker than previous franchise entries which took 31 and 24 days respectively. To date, it has grossed $54 million in this territory, solidifying its status as the franchise’s strongest market outside North America; however, when adjusted for inflation, it ranks as the lowest-grossing installment of the series.

After a month-long theatrical run (31 days), Bridget Jones's Baby became the highest-grossing film of its franchise in the UK with £42.24 million, surpassing the original film’s total of £42 million. It stands as the third highest-grossing UK release of 2016 behind Finding Dory (£42.25 million) and The Jungle Book (£46.1 million). In the Netherlands, it holds the distinction of being Working Title’s top-grossing film ever with earnings of $8.1 million, breaking a record previously held by Notting Hill (1999) for 17 years.

Reception

The critical response to Bridget Jones's Baby was predominantly favorable. On Rotten Tomatoes, it maintains a 78% approval rating based on 209 reviews with an average score of 6.33 out of 10. The site's consensus reads: "Though arriving later than expected, Bridget Jones's Baby offers fans of the series a lively and joyful third chapter." On Metacritic, it holds a score of 59 out of 100 based on evaluations from 42 critics, signaling "mixed or average" reviews overall. Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore assigned it an average grade of "B+" on a scale ranging from A+ to F.

Accolades

Year	Organization	Award Category	Nominee(s)	Outcome
2017	ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards	Top Box Office Movie	Craig Armstrong	Template:Win
2017	Diversity in Media Awards	Movie of the Year	Bridget Jones's Baby	Template:Nom
2017	EDA Awards	AWFJ Hall of Shame	Sharon Maguire	Template:Win
2017	European Film Awards	People's Choice Award for Best European Film	Sharon Maguire	Template:Nom
2017	Globes de Cristal Awards	Best Foreign Film	Sharon Maguire	Template:Nom

Sequel

In October 2022, Fielding announced that a follow-up was underway, intended as a loose adaptation of her 2013 novel Mad About the Boy. By April 2024, the project was officially confirmed, with Renée Zellweger and Emma Thompson set to reprise their roles, alongside Hugh Grant returning from the second installment.

External links

• Bridget Jones's Baby at the British Film Institute
• Official screenplay