Bridget Jones 4: Who is Leo Woodall, and where is Colin Firth?

Six years after Bridget Jones’ last appearance, she’s back with a brand new boy in tow, Leo Woodall. 

After years of speculation about a fourth film, it has been confirmed Bridget Jones will return in Mad About The Boy. 

Based on Helen Fielding's best-selling novel of the same name, the fourth instalment will see Renee Zellweger reprise her iconic role as the blonde, big-knicker-lover alongside Hugh Grant who returns as her 'alcoholic, workaholic, sexaholic, commitment-phobic' ex-Daniel Cleaver. 

It’s been over twenty years since audiences were introduced to the beloved heroine on the big-screen in Bridget Jones’ Diary in 2001, following which Zellweger was nominated for an Academy Award. Since then, the sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Bridget Jones’ Baby have gained both commercial and critical success. 

But where can the story go now? And will the new film feature all the familiar faces of the previous instalments? Here's everything we know so far... 

Warning: the following contains potential spoilers

What happened in Bridget Jones’ Baby?

Ok, let's start with a recap. Back in 2016, the third film Bridget Jones' Baby followed Bridget in her mid-forties as she dealt with an unexpected pregnancy and the awkward situation of there being two potential dad’s. The baby could either have been her former flame, Mark Darcy’s (Colin Firth) or her festival fling-turned long-term lover, Jack’s (Patrick Dempsey) child. 

Bridget decides to keep the baby and finally gets her ‘happy ever after’ as it’s revealed that Mark is the father and the happy couple finally tie the knot. The film closed the chapter on their will-they-won’t-they relationship and started a new chapter in Bridget’s life as a wife and a mother.

What is Mad About The Boy about?

Set four years after Bridget Jones’ Baby, Mad About The Boy is expected to follow the same plot as Fielding’s novel of the same name. In the book, Bridget is now a single mother of two, after Mark Darcy is tragically killed by a “landmine in Sudan.” 

That’s right, the film franchise will now explore the most controversial element of the books and kill off Firth as everyone’s second favourite Mr Darcy (the BBC’s Pride & Prejudice will always take the top spot). 

No specific plot details have been released yet - are we about to see Bridget sign up to the one of the best dating sites? We can no doubt expect some classic Bridget Jones scenarios, including being stuck up a tree (as you do) and being rescued by the new love interest in question. 

There’s also a host of new faces in the franchise too. Chiwetel Ejiofor has joined the cast alongside Leo Woodall, and Emma Thompson is set to return, after her appearance as Bridget’s doctor in the most recent film. There’s no confirmation of whether Bridget’s gaggle of close friends will return, but there’s hope that Sally Phillip will be back as Shazza “who likes to say f*** a lot.” 

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy | £4.93 on Amazon
If you want to get ahead of the film, Harriet Fielding's novel, on which the movie is based, will give you a a good idea of what's to come.  

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Who is Leo Woodall?

Another addition to the cast is the star of Netflix’s One Day, Leo Woodall. It is presumed that the actor will play Bridget’s love interest in the film, as he fits the bill of the 30-something school teacher that she dates in the book. 

The White Lotus actor recently starred in Netflix’s adaptation of David Nicholl’s best-selling novel as Dexter Mayhew alongside Ambika Mod as Emma Morley. Woodall is no stranger to playing a romantic lead and fans are excited to see what the newcomer brings to the franchise. 

Mad About The Boy is expected to start shooting in London in the summer and scheduled for a Valentine’s Day release date in 2025.