Renée Zellweger remarks freshly unveiled Bridget Jones statue is “charming”, noting, “She’s sweeter than me.”
Renée Zellweger has called the new statue of Bridget Jones as “delightful”, explaining, “I think, it’s a lot sweeter than me.”
The actress was talking as the recently revealed statue celebrating the beloved figure she played for over two decades was presented in London’s Leicester Square on the start of the week.
Bridget Jones was first imagined in the mid-1990s by author Helen Fielding, and initially brought for the movies in 2001. The latest installment was released this past February.
Talking at the ceremony, Fielding refused to rule out continuing the series, saying you should “avoid closing doors.”
Zellweger noted that audiences can connect with Bridget, which accounts for her massive popularity.
“Her sensitivity, her humanness,” she said. “We see our own reflections in her, we relate in her struggles.
“It reassures us for the everyone else to be truly who we are. Flawed.”
The persona of Bridget Jones went straight to many female hearts, who took comfort in her ups and downs.
From her awkward work mishaps, to her infamous granny pants, Bridget connected with a demographic who identified in her—and has gained a new generation of Gen Z followers too.
The new installment in the saga, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was released in early this year, and depicts Bridget navigating life as a widowed mom and tackling contemporary romance.
It earned varied critiques, but recorded the best cinema debut ever for a romantic comedy in the UK and Ireland, according to data.
The film was described as the conclusion in the series—but reflecting at the statue unveiling, two longtime enthusiasts, Faye and Wayne, said they were certain there would be a next chapter.
“There are so many things that were not wrapped up at the end of the latest installment,” said Faye.
“Her character keeps changing. I hope to be with Bridget Jones all the way to the nursing home,” said Wayne.
When questioned about the prospect of a new chapter in Bridget Jones’ saga, Fielding said: “The door is open. Inspiration arrive as a author. So if a narrative came to me that I thought was real and interesting and new then I would pursue it.”
A few commentators think the struggling and flawed protagonist, who’s preoccupied by her body image and love life, is not the ideal inspiration.
And Fielding personally has acknowledged in the past that elements of the story seem less relevant today.
“Bridget Jones’s Diary would be impossible to produce now, set now, because all those male coworkers would be fired,” she said last year. “That was a really different time.”
But reflecting on Monday, she said she hoped the overarching idea of the book would remain relevant for audiences.
“Personally, to have the comfort of seeing a character that you can identify with, because they are real and human and open, it’s like having the friend you can be true with,” she said.
The sculpture is the first to honor a rom com on the landmark’s public art trail.
The Scenes in the Square trail originally launched in the year 2020 with the introduction of multiple figures featuring classic duos, Mary Poppins, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Don Lockwood, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and Wonder Woman.
Since then, sculptures of the wizard hero, the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, the giant canine and the adventurer have been installed.