Renée Zellweger knows just how tough the choice her character, Bridget Jones, faces in “Bridget Jones’ Baby” is.
The third film in the beloved franchise centers on the titular character’s life as she navigates a pregnancy, two possible fathers, and an unsure future.
One of those men is a familiar face: Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), who in the first two films battled playboy Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) for Bridget’s heart — and won.
In this installment, Mark and Bridget are on the outs and Bridget wins the affection of Jack (Patrick Dempsey), a rich entrepreneur who unlike Cleaver doesn’t really have an obvious downside.
“The nice thing about playing this role is that I didn’t have to choose,” Zellweger told CNN during the cast’s promotional tour. “I could argue on behalf of either of these guys.”
If you ask Firth, though, Bridget’s choice is a simple one.
“She’s a lot better off with the other guy,” Firth said. “I’ve been nothing but a disappointment all of these years.”
Zellweger, whose role marks a return to movies after a six-year break, laughed at Firth’s assessment.
“That was brilliant. Did you see what he did? He played the empathy card,” she said.
Dempsey, who made a high profile exit from “Grey’s Anatomy” last year, sees Jack’s addition as an opportunity.
“I think going into the unknown with Jack is a good thing,” he said. “It’s a clean slate — which is good and bad.”
Whatever Bridget’s decision, Zellweger said, the drama is the franchise’s gain.
“It’s an interesting new dynamic,” she said. “It’s a more sophisticated type of competition because they’re both great guys.”
“Bridget Jones’ Baby” opens September 16.
CNN’s Neil Curry contributed to this report from London.