‘The White Lotus’ star and Zellweger will be joined by Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson in ‘Mad About the Boy’
Renée Zellweger is already welcoming her new costar Leo Woodall to the world of Bridget Jones!
The White Lotus star, 27, and the Academy Award winner, 55, were spotted this week filming scenes for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy in London.
During their on-location shoot at Hampstead Heath in North London, Zellweger’s iconic character found herself in a sticky situation as she apparently scaled a tree, while Woodall’s character — decked out in Hampstead Heath gear — offered her a helping hand, per The Daily Mail.
For her look as Bridget Jones in the scene, Zellweger wore a black cardigan and a blue button-up shirt underneath, as her hair appeared to be in a bun. Costar Chiwetel Ejiofor could also be seen on set, chatting it up with Woodall, according to the outlet.
“Leo and Renée looked like they were having a great time,” an onlooker told The Daily Mail. “There were lots of giggles, they seemed to get on really well.”
The newly shot scene comes after Zellweger was first spotted in London in late April with boyfriend Ant Anstead while attending his son Archie’s rugby game.
A source previously said that Anstead would be temporarily relocating from California to his native London to join Zellweger while she films the fourth installment in the Bridget Jones film franchise.
“Ant is going over to the U.K. with Renée while she is filming later this year. Ant is excited to spend time with his older kiddos,” the source said.
Anstead shares Archie, 17, and Amelie, 20, with his first wife Louise Storey, while also sharing Hudson, 4, with ex-wife Christina Hall.
The Bridget Jones series, adapted from English author Helen Fielding’s work, will see its next film directed by Michael Morris and featuring new faces in Ejiofor and Woodall.
Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson are expected to return to the series alongside Zellweger, as Grant recently said that the next one will be “very moving as well as funny.”
“It’s partly based on Helen Fielding’s experiences of bringing up two children by herself after her husband died,” he said. “And so Bridget is bringing up two kids and wondering whether she should ever go back to dating. It’s a very good script.”
Zellweger, who has been manifesting this fourth film for years, revealed in the 2020 Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair that she’d “love the experience of revisiting her,” calling the character “so much fun.” In 2002, Zellweger earned an Oscar nod in the best actress category for her portrayal of Jones in the first film, Bridget Jones Diary.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is expected to arrive in theaters and on Peacock on Feb. 14, 2025.
