Bridget Jones 3 is still happening, really

By Margaret Eby | February 3, 2012 | 7:16pm

Aux Features Film

Despite rumors that Hugh Grant was waffling in and out of its production like Bridget Jones in front of the Ben & Jerry’s freezer case, Entertainment Weekly reports that he is really, seriously, honestly committed to Bridget Jones’s Baby. No, for real this time. Everyone’s favorite incompetent British publishing executive is scheduled to hit the silver screen again sometime next year, but Grant—in all his floppy-haired glory—had notoriously bad-mouthed Bridget Jones 2 back in 2009, noting that he felt “conned into doing it.” That naturally has led some to assume that he wouldn’t be up for a third, but apparently Grant was just playing hard-to-get and is sticking with the franchise—at least, according to Working Title Films co-chairman Tim Bevan.

Alas for Bridesmaids fans, rumored director Paul Feig left the film last year, putting production in the hands of The Full Monty director Peter Cattaneo. And while there have been reports of problems with the screenplay from the book’s author Helen Fielding and One Day screenwriter David Nicholls—problems that The Hollywood Reporter claims “have caused the creative team — especially Grant—to ask that the movie be delayed”—Bevan says that’s not true, though he acknowledges that the delay is because they are still perfecting the script. Probably they’re just figuring out how to squeeze in as many babies-in-Spanx jokes as possible, which takes time, you know.