Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding has admitted she will "never forgive" herself for killing off beloved character Mark Darcy in the latest instalment of the franchise.
Speaking at the New York City premiere of Mad About the Boy on Wednesday, Fielding made light of her decision to end the life of the character portrayed by Colin Firth.
"I didn't mean to and he's actually still alive," the 66-year-old author quipped at the Jazz at Lincoln Center event.
"It was just the character that was killed, and it wasn't my fault really. It was just what happened in the story," she added to People.
In the new film, Mark Darcy's character appears only in Bridget's memories, having died during a humanitarian mission to Sudan four years before the story begins.
The fourth and final instalment of the beloved series marks a significant departure from previous films, with Firth's character, now 64, appearing solely in flashback sequences.
Helen Fielding made the admission ahead of the newest Bridget Jones film
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The emotional weight of Darcy's death has deeply affected the cast and production, with the story taking a more poignant turn than previous entries in the franchise.
Fielding revealed she now has the actors firmly in mind when writing new material for the franchise.
"They've all got completely jumbled up together," she told People at the premiere. "I'm really fond of all of them. And when I write Bridget now, I write for Renée."
The author also praised Hugh Grant's interpretation of Daniel Cleaver.
Renée Zellweger became a household name thanks to her role in Bridget Jones' Diary
PA"No one writes Hugh-Daniel's lines better than Hugh," she said.
The role of Bridget Jones has become synonymous with Renée Zellweger, who first portrayed the character on screen a decade ago.
The emotional impact of Mark Darcy's death resonated strongly with the cast during filming.
Zellweger admitted to shedding "real tears" whilst shooting the new film, telling People magazine the emotion "just sneaks up on you".
"We were familiar with how emotional the material was because the novel had been out for a while," the 55-year-old actress said.
Hugh Grant was similarly moved by the story, revealing during an appearance on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show that he cried when first reading the screenplay.
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Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy hit cinemas on February 14
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"The script was so beautifully written that the emotion just gets you," Zellweger added.
Mad About the Boy represents the fourth and final chapter in the Bridget Jones series, which began with the publication of Bridget Jones' Diary in 1996.
Grant, who returns as Daniel Cleaver, emphasised the film's emotional depth during his recent media appearance.
"It's got a huge amount of heart," the 64-year-old actor said.
