It’s hard to believe it’s been over seven years now since the second Bridget Jones in 2004, but she’s finally returning to our screens.

The third slice of Bridget antics was originally slated to be directed by Bridesmaid‘s director, Paul Feig, but he pulled out, apparently when it was suggested a British director would be better suited to the role. We can’t see the issue ourselves considering the role of extremely British Bridget is played by the very American Renee Zellweger (and extremely well – she was nominated for an Oscar) but we won’t go into that.

Cattaneo is also a fine choice, being best known for directing the smash hit 1997 British comedy The Full Monty about a group of unemployed men in Sheffield who organise and perform their own strip show to raise some funds.

The original Bridget Jones Diary, released in 2001 starred Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. It followed the thirty-something singleton for a year in her life as she attempted to fulfill her New Year’s resolutions (stop smoking, stop drinking, lose weight, progress in career) and find a nice man to settle down with.

The second outing – Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason followed the same formula, only she wasn’t single, having hooked up with top barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at the end of the first. He proposed at the end, so where can she go from there?

Perhaps the title will give you a clue … The Bridget Jones’s Baby screenplay has been written by Helen Fielding the author of the books the first two were based on. Bridget first appeared in her column in the Independent in 1996 before they were adapted into novels.

The plot still has not been revealed, but Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant are all set to reprise their roles when shooting starts in January.

Bridget Jones’s Baby is set for release sometime in 2013.

Yes, there is going to be a third in the series. Last night author of the novels Helen Fielding read the first pages of the third book to an excitable audience in London. After ten years we thought we’d be safe, but Fielding clearly saw the chance to cash in by writing a third diary.

Apparently Zellweger has agreed to be in the film but only on the condition that she doesn’t have to bulk up again. She famously put on weight for the first film, Bridget Jones’s Diary, lost it in a dramatic fashion and then piled it back on for the second, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. All in the name of art.

Anyway it is thought that in the third film she will be skinny from the start, however there is talk that she will get pregnant. And guess who is the father? She doesn’t know! Classy. Cue a bumbling Colin Firth and the snooty Hugh Grant.

Newly crowned Oscar-winning Firth spoke about the films’ recently, saying :

“I don’t really want to be part of a perpetual franchise but we’re all getting so old! I think the idea of Mark and Daniel and Bridget in advanced stages of deterioration could be quite fun. We’re making a comedy after all.”

The plot at this point hasn’t been confirmed, so don’t hold your breath for the baby. It’s also not known if the film will even follow what happens in the diary.

We don’t know about you, but we think it might be time for Zellweger to hang up her gigantic pants and plummy British accent. (Although there is at least one group of women, the I wear Bridget Jones Pants and I dont care Facebook group, who disagree.)

According to Variety, this installment will take place some years after the 2004 sequel The Edge of Reason and, since there’s no third novel to adapt, it’s rumoured that the plot will stem from the fictional columns Fielding wrote in 2005 and 2006 for The Independent which saw the publishing executive attempting to try for a baby in her forties. Since divorcee Zellweger hit the decade earlier this year, a large amount of character research might not be needed, which is just as well when she’ll be spending all her free time chomping down the pies – unless, of course, she disappoints us all and cops out for a fat suit this time round…