Hugh Grant is set to return as the charming yet notorious Daniel Cleaver in the upcoming Bridget Jones flick, and he's spilled the beans on how he nearly didn't make it back to the beloved franchise. The British heartthrob, known for his roles in classics like Notting Hill and Four Weddings And A Funeral, has been a key part of the Bridget Jones saga, starring alongside Renee Zellweger.
He was notably absent from the third instalment, with his character presumed dead after a plane crash, only for fans to learn he had survived in the film's closing moments. Meanwhile, Bridget seemed to have found her fairy-tale ending with Mark Darcy, complete with wedding bells and a baby.
However, Hugh has hinted that the latest movie might not be all giggles and grins, despite its romantic release date on Valentine's Day 2025. Chatting on The Graham Norton Show, he revealed: "It's actually a very good and moving script, and I say that as someone who is horrid about scripts."
He continued, sharing the poignant inspiration behind the new storyline: "Because Helen Fielding [Bridget Jones author] had a sad story. She got married to an American screenwriter and they had children, then he died, and she raised the children by herself. Then she started writing a novel about a woman raising children by herself with a dead father and husband. She realised the character was a bit like Bridget, so made it into a Bridget Jones book. As well as being extremely funny, it's very, very sad," reports the Mirror.
However, it seems Hugh Grant had a tough time slipping back into his infamous character Daniel Cleaver for the newest film. He revealed: "There was absolutely no role for Daniel Cleaver, as far as I could see, but they wanted to cram me in. So we sat down together.
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"I'm quite difficult these days and I felt what they proposed was fine, but not great. I felt he needed a third dimension. He's in his 60s now, he can't just be making his way down the King's Road eyeing up young girls. So they invented well, I invented a rather good interim story."
Although Hugh kept mum on the juicy parts of Daniel's fate, it's clear Bridget is set to embark on fresh adventures after Mark's demise -- mirroring writer Helen Fielding's real-life experience with losing her spouse. Bridget faces single motherhood while diving into the world of digital dating, even bagging a younger man tagged 'Rockstar', played by hunk Leo Woodall.
Renee Zellweger's iconic character is also rumoured to be mingling with PE teacher Mr Walker, portrayed by the talented Chiwetel Ejiofor. With all eyes on Bridget and Daniel Cleaver's will-they-won't-they dynamic, fans are holding their breath until the movie drops on Valentine's Day.
