Renée Zellweger thought filming ‘Bridget Jones’ Baby’ was like meeting up with an old friend.
The 46-year-old actress will reprise her role as the titular publishing executive in the third movie in the franchise next year, and she is pleased to have been able to portray her character in a new stage of her life – 14 years after the release of the first film, ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’.
She said: "This is part of the new challenge, discovering where she is now in her new life.
"But as an actress, it feels like stepping back with an old friend. I love this character, I like that she tells stories about what it’s like to be a woman and these really relatable situations at certain times in life. It’s so right to tell a story about Bridget in this stage of her life."
The first movie saw Bridget as a single, accident-prone woman in her early 30s, and while she has "moved on" since those days, the Hollywood star has teased fans they will still see plenty of the old Bridget in the upcoming motion picture.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly magazine, she added: "She’s a bit more mature and has moved on, as we all have.
"I think that’s her essence, really. All of us do things in our personalities that we don’t outgrow."
Several other characters will also return for the third movie, including Colin Firth as her on/off lover Mark Darcy, Jim Broadbent as her father, and Patrick Dempsey will debut in the film series as billionaire Jack Qwant.
Renée Zellweger talks Bridget Jones reunion
