Bridget Jones Could Be Biggest Brit Film Box Office Opener

The film version of hit novel Bridget Jones’ Diary is thought to have broken British box office records for home grown films, by taking £7m in its opening weekend. Its Easter release could see it become one of the biggest UK openers, a chart headed by Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

The film stars US actress Renee Zellweger as the eponymous London singleton, with perennial Brit actors Hugh Grant and Colin Firth as the two male leads. A sequel is now said to be a high priority, as modest success was also enjoyed in the United States with an opening box office weekend of $10m.

The opening of the film was preceded by an avalanche of publicity, with special Comic Relief editions of the original book going on sale, large scale outdoor and press campaigns and internet advertising including banners and microsites linked to site including MSN and PeopleNews. Ample coverage was also gained in the burgeoning celebrity press, with Hugh Grant’s new haircut, Colin Firth’s weight loss efforts, Renee Zellweger’s weight gain efforts and Geri Halliwell’s tiny frame and tinier dress stealing the premiere show providing plenty of column inches.

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