Bridget Jones's Baby is a 2016 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire and written by Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer and Emma Thompson, based on the fictional columns by Fielding in The Independent and other publications. The film stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Colin Firth as Mark Darcy, Patrick Dempsey as Jack Qwant, and Gemma Jones as Mrs. Jones. It is the third installment of the franchise after Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). Principal photography began on 2 October 2015 in London, England.
The plot follows forty-something Bridget who discovers she is pregnant but does not know whether her child's father is her long-time on-again off-again boyfriend Mark Darcy or American millionaire Jack Qwant.
The film was released in the United Kingdom on 16 September 2016 by Universal Pictures and in North America on 7 October 2016 by Focus World. Upon release, it received mixed reviews from critics but many praised Zellweger's performance. It grossed $211 million worldwide against its $35 million budget making it the highest grossing instalment of the franchise but it was still considered a box office disappointment due to its high budget.