Bridget Jones box office blow as Mad About the Boy leaks online hours after release
BRIDGET Jones Mad About the Boy bosses have been dealt a huge blow after the movie leaked online hours after being released in UK cinemas.
The fourth and final instalment of the beloved series that stars Renee Zelwegger, 55, as the iconic singleton was expected to outsell megahit Barbie with 150,000 seats already being pre-sold in one cinema chain already.
But those hopes could be dashed after the entire film appeared online just hours after release, The Sun can exclusively reveal.
While the movie is being released in cinemas in the UK, in America it has hit streaming platform Peacock - and some have illegally downloaded the film and re-uploaded it on social media sites for people to watch worldwide.
A source said: “It’s a huge blow. Mad About the Boy is going to be massive but there are worries that people just won’t go out to watch it if they can already see it illegally from the comfort of their sofas.”
The film is already set to be the busiest weekend at the box office so far in 2025 — with Bridget facing stiff competition from Marvel superhero movie Captain America: Brave New World.
Read more on Bridget Jones
Bridget’s previous outing - Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016 - made £8.1million in its opening weekend.
However Mad About the Boy is expected to far exceed that number.
Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, made £18.4million in British cinemas from its first weekend in July 2023.
Robert Mitchell, of film industry experts Gower Street Analytics, told The Sun: “We’re anticipating it to be one of the biggest titles of the year in the UK, the biggest British film of the year, and the biggest box office for the first half of 2025.”
Eduardo Leal, of Vue cinemas, said: “Pre-sales are even higher than for blockbusters like Barbie. It is tracking to be the biggest ever Bridget Jones film.”
Renee, 55, is reprising her role as the granny pants-wearing character, in a story based on a 2013 novel by Helen Fielding.
The movie will see Bridget as a single mother-of-two, following the death of her partner Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth.
She ends up in a relationship with a young park supervisor, played by White Lotus and One Day star Leo Woodall, 28.
Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Chiwetel Ejiofor also star.
The Sun first revealed in July 2022 how the latest Bridget film was in the works.
Shooting lasted from May until August last year in London.
Renee Zellweger's career so far
Across her three-decade career, Renee Zellweger has won such accolades as two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.
Here is a look at some of her most memorable roles
- The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995, "Jenny"): The fourth installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, this slasher film marked Renee's first starring role.
- Jerry Maguire (1996, "Dorothy Boyd"): Renee starred opposite Tom Cruise in this classic sports-comedy drama.
- Nurse Betty (2000, "Betty Sizemore"): For her portrayal of the title character, Renee received a Golden Globe.
- Bridget Jones franchise (2001 - present, "Bridget Jones"): The actress adopts an English accent to play the title character in this franchise. The fourth instalment, titled Bridget Jones: Mad About A Boy is due to be released in February 2025.
- Cold Mountain (2003, "Ruby"): Renee starred opposite Jude Law and Nicole Kidman in this period war drama film. She received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
- Judy (2019, "Judy Garland"): In this biographical drama, Renee portrayed the legendary actress Judy Garland, most notably known for the Wizard of Oz. She received her second Academy Award for her work in this film.
Renee, who first played Bridget in 2001, said: “I love this character. It’s such a unique experience to have the opportunity to revisit a character, to get to know her in a different stage of her life as she evolves and grows.
“I feel great warmth for her. I’m also really protective over her and so the quality of the project is always at the forefront.”