Weve known this group for 24 years, like theyre our friends as well.
Theyre the closest to her.
It was really fun to find them again and rediscover them a bit.
L-R: Shirley Henderson as Jude, James Callis as Tom, Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, Sally Phillips as Shazzer, Sarah Solemani as Miranda in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy’Alex Bailey/Universal Pictures
Theyre all the same, but a bit different.
DEADLINE: What tone did you want to set with this fourthBridget Jonesinstallment?
The grief is poignant in this film among the other classic emotions.
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mr. Walliker in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy’Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures
And I think thats natural.
And it can most likely bring the other thing too.
Anyone that gives you pleasure and joy, you risk, losing that thing.
DEADLINE:Im curious what conversations with Helen Fielding were like.
She wrote the screenplay.
Its based on her book, this fourth installment, after the first three.
She channeled a lot of that personal story into the book,Mad About The Boy.
Every novel is full of incident in ways that you cant possibly have everything in the film.
It was really important to Helen, and it was very important to Renee too, and to Hugh.
Can we make this film?
Or are we going to be tossing and turning between, Is it funny enough?
Is it sad enough?
I wanted it to be everything.
We all want[ed] to move to a new kind of register.
DEADLINE:That piano scene at the end, was that improvised?
Mr. Walliker comes out of his shell.
that was Chiwetel playing right?
MORRIS:It wasnt improvised.
It was very important to me going in that that was what we were going to see.
And thats him now, in the world of Bridget.
Hes wearing a jumper.
Hes more down to earth in his own way, but Chiwetel is such a master kind of craftsman.
He didnt want anyone pre-recording it.
He was just like, Im gonna learn it.
Im gonna do it.
It was him playing in the concert.
It was him playing at the end.
That felt so cinematic.
Was that in the book?
Can you talk to me about staging that and filming it?
They become like visual icons in your own mind.
I can imagine that being a poster.
To me, that was always an image for this film.
It was really cool.
DEADLINE:Could you explain Isla Fishers cameo and the never meet your heroes aspect?
So she showed up for a day if she did it.
DEADLINE:Were there any other big callbacks you wanted to make to the previous films?
MORRIS:There are so many that its almost more fun, just to leave it at that.
Im sure you saw the penguin pajamas.
The famous Christmas jumper makes an appearance.
Theres camera angles that will remind you of important shots from the first film.
Thats our gift to the people theyve grown up with or really enjoyed the franchise.
Its worth seeing again because youll see more the second time.
