The new Bridget Jones movie not getting a US theatrical release is mad to a Brit

In Britain, it's Bridget Jones Day as the fourth movie, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, hits cinemas nationwide.

To be clear to American readers, it's not actually a UK national holiday (perhaps it should be? free big pants for all?), but there is a genuine sense of excitement about seeing Renée Zellweger's chardonnay-loving heroine back on the big screen alongside Hugh Grant as devilish Daniel Cleaver. My local cinema is screening it 19 times in one day!

So imagine how stunned I was to discover the movie isn't being released in US theaters. Instead, it's gone straight to streaming on Peacock. From a UK perspective, this is a mad decision!

The movie looks set to be a massive box office hit with advance tickets selling faster than Barbie! Sure it won't beat Barbie overall but it's almost certain now to be a success. It looks even more crazy to not give it an American theatrical release when you think it's Valentine's weekend. It's also been receiving largely positive reviews, in our Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy review we described it as a "welcome return" while in a glowing review, The Times says "our national treasure grows up".

So, why isn't Bridget Jones being released theatrically in the US?

Money. The movie has gone straight to streaming in America simply because the makers don't believe it will make enough loot. While this seems incredible from a UK perspective, a closer look at the box office figures for the third movie, Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), highlights why they took the decision. The film made just $8 million in its opening weekend despite being released widely across America. Out of its total $212 million box office gross, only $24 million of that came from the US and Canada.

Talking about the decision to not give it a US theatrical release, Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding told Variety: "You know what I'm a realist. I've been sort of parenting this brand for a long time now and I understand the changing economics of the movie industry and the different markets. So I completely respect what Universal decided to do. They know what they're doing. People watch 'Bridget' — all three movies are still streaming — so they will watch this one at home. It's a good movie to watch on the sofa, I think."

Unfortunately, it seems not as many people go to cinemas nowadays to watch rom-coms. Is this because there are fewer good rom-coms? Or does the fact that a rom-com doesn’t need to be enjoyed on a big screen mean people just wait to stream it? It seems sad that American fans, though, aren't getting the chance to experience Bridget Jones this weekend. Are you really taking your date out to watch Captain America: Brave New World? Do you actually want a second date? Perhaps stream Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy on Peacock instead. It's time America fell in love with our Bridget again.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is available to stream in the US now via Peacock. UK fans can enjoy it at the cinema.