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Bridget Jones to be immortalised with Leicester Square statue as creators hint at possible fifth film

The bronze tribute was long overdue for a "proper London heroine"

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Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, 2001.
Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, 2001. Picture: Alamy

By Alice Padgett

Bridget Jones is set to be immortalised in bronze in London’s Leicester Square.

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The life-sized statue of Helen Fielding’s beloved heroine, made famous by Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger, will be unveiled on November 17.

Zellweger herself will attend the ceremony, alongside co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, and Sally Phillips, who will host the event.

“Unbelievably and a first for Working Title, we’re getting a statue of one of our most loved characters in bronze being put in Leicester Square and that’s very exciting,” said Eric Fellner, co-chairman of Working Title Films, which produces the franchise.

“I’ll definitely be there as well,” he told Deadline.

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Renée Zellwege in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, 2004.
Renée Zellwege in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, 2004. Picture: Alamy

The statue, designed by London-based studio 3D Eye, will stand just yards from the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, where Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy had its world premiere earlier this year.

Fellner said the bronze tribute was long overdue for a “proper London heroine.”

“We’ve never had anything like that before,” he said.

“And I think it’s great because Bridget’s a proper London heroine and the idea of having Bridget ever present in a brilliant location in the centre of London is really exciting.”

Chuffed with the milestone, he added: “This is the first time they’ve had a romantic comedy character.”

The unveiling comes as the 25th anniversary of Bridget Jones’s Diary approaches next year.

The 2001 film introduced Zellweger as the lovable, awkward singleton opposite Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, kicking off a franchise that has earned $900 million worldwide.

Fellner said the bronze tribute was long overdue for a “proper London heroine.”
Fellner said the bronze tribute was long overdue for a “proper London heroine.”. Picture: Alamy

Fellner praised Helen Fielding, who first created Bridget in her Independent newspaper column in 1995.

“I love the idea that her brilliant writing in a newspaper 30 years ago ends up as a statue in Leicester Square. It’s kind of gorgeous,” he said.

This comes as Zellweger, who has portrayed Bridget across four films, hinted that she would happily return for another.

“I’ll never be done with Bridget Jones … so Helen might, you know, spark to something,” she told Deadline earlier this year.

She added: “If Helen writes something then, well, I’m in.”

Fellner also left the door open for a fifth instalment.

Gene Kelly's Singing In The Rain Statue in Leicester Square.
Gene Kelly's Singing In The Rain bronze statue in Leicester Square. Picture: Alamy

“How great would that be? I think it would be a wonderful idea,” he said.

“There isn’t a book for a fifth film, so there’s no natural storyline. But if there’s a great idea, if Helen has a great idea, then it would be amazing to do it. So I think we’ve just got to see what occurs.”

The Scenes in the Square initiative, backed by Westminster Council, celebrates film icons across decades, with statues of James Bond, Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and now, Bridget Jones, among others.

Originally developed between 1632 and 1636 as private gardens surrounding Leicester House, the square has become synonymous with London’s entertainment industry.