Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy has recorded the highest-ever premiere for a romantic comedy in the UK and Ireland, as stated by Universal.
The fourth installment of the series, centered around the titular character who struggles with love, amassed $15.5m (£12.3m) in its opening weekend, surpassing Marvel’s first offering of the year, Captain America: Brave New World.
Zellweger and Leo Woodall in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Pic: Universal Pictures
This figure eclipses that of the second film in the series, Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, which previously held the record with $13.1m (£10.4m).
Less recognized in the US, Bridget’s newest journey did not receive a theatrical release in the country, instead going directly to Universal’s streaming platform, Peacock.
The film’s triumph in the UK can be attributed to strong pre-sales, surpassing those of the record-setting Margot Robbie flick Barbie – part of last year’s “Barbenheimer” craze.
Produced by Working Title, renowned for British classics like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, and Notting Hill, Bridget Jones 4 now stands as their top opener ever.
Additionally, it marked the franchise’s most successful debut in Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
While critics offered a mixed bag of reviews, audiences are enjoying the film, with a fresh rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, a film review aggregator.
The character initially surfaced in 1995 through anonymous columns in The Independent penned by journalist Helen Fielding. A success through word of mouth, Fielding’s subsequent four novels featuring Bridget became bestsellers.
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Sky’s Bethany Minelle explains how Bridget Jones came to be
In anticipation of the film’s debut, the star of the movie, Renée Zellweger, expressed to Sky News that portraying Bridget was “the best role in the world”.
Sharing the screen in the newest chapter with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall, Zellweger remarked: “I adore her. I cherish her sense of humor. I appreciate her vulnerability. I embrace her imperfections. I relish the chance to enact her plans which may surprise her in their outcomes. I enjoy every aspect of it.”
Bridget Jones – new era, new pants. Pic: Universal Pictures
The original film garnered Zellweger an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Bridget, and the character’s name has entered the lexicon as a reference to a single woman in her 30s searching for romance.
A divisive figure, while many appreciated the character’s relatability, some believed her preoccupation with her appearance and quest for a partner contradicted the essence of being an independent woman.
Fielding has articulated that the core of Bridget’s allure resides in her ability to illustrate “the disparity between the persona one feels obliged to embody and the reality of one’s internal self”.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is currently showing in cinemas.
