Universal and Working Title have been ruminating over Bridget Jones’ Diary 3 for nigh on a decade at this point, with the last major false start occurring in 2011 when Bridesmaids‘ Paul Feig was circling the long-gestating sequel.
Fast forward to 2015, however, and Deadline brings the first tangible sign that the threequel is moving forward, and it’s even snatched up its first major star in former Grey’s Anatomy crooner Patrick Dempsey. Has the hapless singleton finally found her McDreamy at last? You know it can’t be that simple.
Renée Zellweger is understood to be back on board for Bridget Jones’ Diary 3, alongside Colin Firth’s long-time love interest Mark Darcy. One former cast member who won’t be back for another bout of rom-com goodness, though, is Hugh Grant, who decided to forego another installment. And after The Edge of Reason, can you really blame him?
Nevertheless, Bridget Jones’ Diary 3 will be gunning to tell a more modern tale, easing the titular, accident-prone character into a whole new generation. Firth tells The Independent that Bridget Jones may be nearing a mid-life crisis by the time the film opens, stating that, “I said that a third one should only happen if we were telling a story about having moved into a different generation when we were all beginning to deteriorate a little bit. I think we might be ready for that moment!”
One enduring fixture that has kept our hopes high is the welcome return of director Sharon Maguire – who helmed the 2001 original – while novelist Helen Fielding and David Nicholls penned the actual screenplay.
Bridget Jones’ Diary 3 – or Bridget Jones’ Baby, as it may be titled – is to begin shooting in London on October 2. It’s expected to release in 2016.