Bridget Jones 4 to film in May as Renee Zellwegger prepares to return to iconic role

The highly anticipated sequel is finally set to begin filming after years of pleas from fans of the franchise.

Actor Hugh Grant with Renee Zellweger in scene from film "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason". /Films/Titles/Bridget/Jones/The/Edge/Of/Reason

Bridget Jones 4 is set to begin filming in May, according to new reports.

Renée Zellweger will reprise her role as the beloved bumbling journalist in the latest sequel in the smash hit romantic comedy franchise.

Renée Zellweger is set to reprise her role as Bridget Jones in an upcoming sequel that’s set to start filming in May. Picture supplied.

Filming will begin in London this May, and pre-production is thought to already be well underway.

Ahead of filming, Zellweger is believed to be searching for a temporary home to live in with her boyfriend, Ant Antstead.

“Bridget is back and is about to take over London. Filming is being mapped out already and all of the pre- production is in place,” a source told Mail Online. “There was some uncertainty about whether it would get off the ground, but the movie is coming.”

The latest sequel will be based on the 2013 book Bridget Jones’s Diary: Mad About the Boy, which follows the 51-year-old single mother of two children as she navigates dating in an era of social media and dating apps.

In the book, Bridget, now eight years on from the events of the third movie, has two children and is a widow after the sudden death of Mark Darcy. She then decides to put herself out there in the dating world once more after mourning his death.

However, it’s currently unconfirmed whether the movie will stay true to the books when it comes to the beloved character’s death.

Hugh Grant could be set to return to the franchise after skipping out on the third movie altogether. Pictures supplied.

As a result, it’s believed that both Colin Firth and Hugh Grant could make surprise appearances in the highly anticipated sequel. It would be a big win for fans, who missed Grant after he decided to skip out on appearing in the third film entirely.

Zellweger previously shared her excitement about a potential sequel, telling Radio Times: “I know Helen’s [Fielding] written the book, and I love this character. So, I mean, if they call me, I’ll go running. I really hope [there is another movie]. I do. I love her. She’s so much fun.”

Author Fielding also previously spoke about the potential for another film, saying: “I think it’s really difficult to make films and to make them happen and to make them good and we want it to be really good. But I really hope so. I’d love to see it on the screen.”

Originally published as Bridget Jones 4 to film in May as Renee Zellwegger prepares to return to iconic role