Pretty Woman, Sleepless In Seattle, Never Been Kissed; there’s no disputing the ’90s was the golden era of the rom-com. But as the decades have rolled on, stand-out examples of the genre have been few and far between.
Recent releases like Nicole Kidman‘s A Family Affair and Brooke Shields‘ Mother of the Bride proved to be underwhelming – with lacklustre scores of 35% and 13% respectively on the movie database Rotten Tomatoes.
However,a new poster for Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy – starring Renée Zellweger – has ramped up excitement around the rom-com genre again.
Unveiling the poster on X, film production company Working Title captioned the post: ‘Bridget Jones is back and ready for the next chapter’.
Bridget Jones fans have praised the noughties-style marketing of the movie – with its ‘charmingly simple’ poster and Valentine’s Day release.
Renée Zellweger is the poster girl for the latest Bridget Jones Instalment, Mad About The Boy
One wrote on X: ‘A rom-com coming out in cinemas, no mention of streaming, poster that looks like a secondary school student made it, releasing on Valentine’s Day… are we…are we back??’.
Another added: ‘This has all the hallmarks of a Valentine’s Day classic—or maybe a hidden gem? Either way, it’s got that old-school rom-com vibe.’
A third replied: ‘Sounds like they’re going for the retro charm! Sometimes, it’s the low-budget rom-coms that surprise you the most.’
Meanwhile, a fourth said: ‘We’re seeing a nostalgic return to classic rom-coms with a new film hitting cinemas on Valentine’s Day, complete with a charmingly simple poster.’
The upcoming instalment will follow Bridget as she navigates life as a single mother after the tragic loss of long-term love interest Mark Darcy (played by Colin Firth).
Based on the book of the same name by Helen Fielding, the film follows the much-loved character enjoy a fling with a hunky toyboy named Rockstar, who is played by One Day star Leo Woodall, 27, after the pair meet on social media.
As well as her love affair with Rockstar, Bridget will also explore a romantic connection with her son’s PE teacher Mr Walker, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, while also reviving her on-off relationship with Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver.
Some fans were dubious, however, about Mark Darcy being absent from the film.
Renée Zellweger was spotted filming her final scenes for the upcoming Bridget Jones movie alongside her younger on-screen love interest, Leo Woodall.
Social media users showed an outpouring of positivity for the film – but some were upset that Mark Darcy isn’t a main character in the final instalment
‘I have been a devotee of Bridget Jones for over 20 years – even watched Edge of Reason yesterday – but without Mark Darcy I have absolutely zero interest I don’t know they are doing this to us,’ wrote one fan on X.
Another wrote ‘no thanks, not without my man,’ as they shared a clip of Colin smiling shyly at the camera.
Despite Mark being killed off, The Mail on Sunday previously revealed Colin will still be making an appearance in the film.
In the book series, Mark sadly later dies while working abroad as a human rights lawyer – leaving Bridget a widow.
After Colin’s name was absent from the cast list, fans feared his character would not appear at all in the fourth film.
However, in exclusive photographs from the set taken last month, Renée is seen lovingly interacting with The King’s Speech star.
Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy will be released in cinemas on Valentine’s Day next year, much to the delight of fans (Bridget, played by Renée Zellweger, Daniel, played by Hugh Grant and Mark, played by Colin Firth pictured in the 2004 film The Edge Of Reason)
The fourth installment will follow Bridget as she battles motherhood alone following the tragic death of husband Mark, who was played in the previous films by Colin Firth (pictured in The Edge of Reason in 2004)
Despite Mark being killed off, The Mail on Sunday previously revealed Colin will still be making an appearance in the film (pictured in The Edge Of Reason)
Bridget enjoys a fling with a hunky toyboy named Rockstar, who is played by One Day star Leo Woodall, 27, after the pair meet on social media, in the upcoming film
It was revealed that Colin’s return was meant to be a huge surprise, with film bosses desperate to keep it under wraps.
A source said: ‘Colin was always going to appear in the movie but it was supposed to be a secret.’
In the last movie, Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016, Bridget is seen attending the memorial of her other on-off love Daniel, played by Hugh who is presumed dead after a plane crash, but is later found alive.
Fans will have to be patient to find out whether Mark will be so lucky, or is simply appearing in a dream sequence.