Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is ALREADY tipped to be a box office smash as it beats megahit Barbie to sell a huge number of presale tickets

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy has already surpassed megahit Barbie in ticket presales, because it lastly hits cinemas on Thursday.

The long-awaited sequel sees Renee Zellweger reprise her position because the titular heroine, and sees her adjusting to life as widow following the shock dying of her husband Mark Darcy.

Now, it has been revealed that greater than 150,000 seats have already been booked within the UK by cinema chain Odeon, with greater than half of these bought for Valentine’s Day. 

It is set to be probably the most profitable field workplace weekend of the 12 months to date, as Marvel blockbuster Captain America: Courageous New World can be hitting the large display screen.

Bridget’s earlier outing – Bridget Jones’s Child in 2016 – made £8.1million in its opening weekend, however this fourth movie is anticipated to far surpass that.

Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, made £18.4million in British cinemas from its first weekend in July 2023.

Robert Mitchell, of movie business consultants Gower Road Analytics, informed The Solar: ‘We’re anticipating it to be one of many greatest titles of the 12 months within the UK, the largest British movie of the 12 months, and the largest field workplace for the primary half of 2025.’

Eduardo Leal, of Vue cinemas, added: ‘Pre-sales are even increased than for blockbusters like Barbie. It’s monitoring to be the largest ever Bridget Jones movie.’

Odeon boss Suzie Welch went onto say: ‘We’re eagerly anticipating a unbelievable opening weekend. It is beautiful to see how excited followers are to welcome Bridget again.’ 

The movie has additionally been extensively praised by critics as the very best but of the movie collection – as they lauded each main girl Renee and ‘humorous’ Hugh Grant. 

The movie is but once more tailored from Helen Fielding’s books – the primary being Bridget Jones’ Diary which was launched in 2001. Its sequel The Fringe of Motive adopted in 2004, after which Bridget Jones’s Child hit cinemas in 2016.

Set within the years after Mark’s tragic dying, within the movie Bridget finds herself in the midst of a battle for her affections between boy toy Roxster, performed by Leo Woodall, and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s trainer character Mr. Wallaker.

The Every day Mail’s Brian Viner gave the movie a glowing assessment with 4 stars and stated it was the very best for the reason that unique.

He known as Renee’s appearing ‘partaking’ and praised the portrayal of an age hole relationship.

The movie has additionally been extensively praised by critics as the very best but of the movie collection – as they lauded each main girl Renee and ‘humorous’ Hugh Grant 

He stated: ‘She’s again – and whereas some individuals may want she wasn’t, as a result of in any case she’s not everybody’s glass of Chardonnay – she’s again with bells on. 

‘The fourth Bridget Jones movie is the very best for the reason that 2001 unique, and aptly sufficient is probably the most grown-up of the quartet, exploring bereavement and grief however by no means on the expense of wit and allure.

‘It explores loads of different stuff, too, not least romance throughout a mighty age divide.’

In the meantime The Telegraph gave the movie a whopping 5 stars additionally saying it was the ‘greatest movie but’ of the collection and musing that it was ‘a pleasure to have Bridget again on screens.’

Their movie critic Robbie Collin additionally praised Hugh Grant as he returned as Daniel Cleaver, lauding his ‘humorous and rascally tone’. 

Robbie stated of the movie: ‘Sure, there are corny bits, however what kind of Bridget Jones movie would it not be if there weren’t? 

‘Like Bridget’s personal love life, the London-set romantic comedy has been in hibernation for a decade-plus. What an surprising pleasure to see each revived in such model.’

The Unbiased known as the movie’s main girl ‘sensational’ as they branded it ‘weak, trustworthy and really humorous’.

Additionally they praised the dealing with of the age hole relationship between Bridget and Roxster in addition to declaring Hugh’s ‘hilarious’ additions to the movie.

They stated: ‘Bridget Jones: Mad Concerning the Boy, then, is about all issues in steadiness. And that features having Hugh Grant swan in for a hilarious couple of scenes, however no extra.’ 

The Occasions additionally gave 4 stars praising largely the chemistry and connection between Hugh and Renee which they are saying held the movie collectively.

Their chief movie critic Kevin Maher stated: ‘We have watched them develop and evolve, but keep the identical, and but not, over 24 years. 

‘Their affection for one another is the movie’s biggest energy, as a result of it dovetails neatly into its most poignant theme: time devours all. However with gags.’

The Guardian nonetheless was much less impressed, giving the movie simply two stars and saying the collection had ‘run out of steam’. 

Additionally they stated there was no chemistry between Renee and both of her main males however did reward Hugh’s humour and Emma Thompson’s scenes. 

They stated: ‘Zellweger appears to be like as if she’s interested by one thing else and Woodall has not one of the allure and plausible humanity he has confirmed us earlier than – the scenes right here on Hampstead Heath are an uneasy, inadvertent echo of his romantic One Day moments on Primrose Hill.’

They brutally added: ‘Followers may desire to recollect the earlier three movies.’

The Night Normal adopted swimsuit with two stars saying Bridget ought to ‘go into retirement now.

Renee returns to her most well-known position within the movie, this time taking part in Bridget in her fifties and a single mom of two following the dying of her husband Mark Darcy (seen with youthful love curiosity Leo Woodall)

Their critic wrote: ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary began out as a mid-90s newspaper-column spoof of Satisfaction and Prejudice and whereas nobody would begrudge Fielding the success of the following books and movies, they’ve steadily decreased in sophistication and wit. 

‘Retirement now certainly beckons for Bridget.’

The Categorical gave it three stars and stated it was ‘lighthearted’ however criticised it for being barely too lengthy. 

They stated: ‘Bridget Jones movies have been a staple of British rom-com hilarity, and the ever-excellent Zellweger helms a number of stomach laughs on this feel-good and lighthearted fourthquel.’

Empire gave it 4 stars saying it was some of the emotional movies of the collection and known as it a ‘charming return for Bridget’. 

They wrote: ‘The sequel we did not know we would have liked, Mad About The Boy is a heartfelt, charming return to the chaos surrounding the one and solely Bridget Jones. You may even shed a couple of tears.’

The Hollywood Reporter additionally known as it poignant and praised how Renee portrayed grief after her husband’s dying.

They stated: ‘What actually distinguishes Bridget Jones: Mad Concerning the Boy, nonetheless, is the depth of feeling it brings to the protagonist’s grief and her gradual emergence from it. That goes double for Zellweger’s efficiency.’

Within the movie Bridget finds herself in the midst of a battle for her affections between boy toy Roxster and Chiwetel’s trainer character Mr. Wallaker.

And Renee has phrases for anybody criticising the ‘cougar’ storyline, musing that ‘persons are speaking about all of the movies which are displaying this dynamic because the central relationship. I’ve no regrets. That is nothing new in society.’

Leo, 28, additionally not too long ago stated that he is happy to see age hole {couples} depicted on display screen – particularly the place the girl is the elder of the pair. 

‘When two individuals discover the connection, why should not they see the place it goes with out judgment?’ he informed Stellar Journal. 

‘Each dynamics needs to be equally normalised. It is a good factor that we’re getting the reverse’ Leo continued. 

‘As a result of it is not unusual – it is simply not portrayed a lot in motion pictures.’

Helen Fielding in the meantime can be hoping the most recent movie will smash the concept that ladies have a ‘sexual sell-by date’.

Talking forward of the movie’s launch this week on Valentine’s Day, Helen, 66, stated: ‘I actually wished to smash the thought with this film that there is a sexual sell-by-date for girls and never for males, and stick it to the terrible cougar stereotype.

‘It makes me consider a girl in animal print leering over a good friend of my son’s, going, ‘Would you like a sherry, darling?’

‘It is received to cease as a result of it is actually not reflecting what’s occurring.’

Chatting with The Sunday Occasions, she added: ‘For years and years we have seen Hollywood present males 40 years older than their companions, and it is not even mentioned.

‘Now motion pictures are lastly exploring a want between youthful males and older ladies that is reciprocal, not transactional.