"It was important to mine those carefully so that they felt authentic and necessary and new at the same time."

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall join returning cast including Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson in the fourth entry of the rom-com series based on Helen Fielding’s popular novels.

The “Bridget Jones” franchise is long beloved by fans, due in extremely large part to Renée Zellweger’s portrayal of the title character. So, yes, the actress was a resource director Michael Morris turned to a lot while making the fourth film — and there was one particular insight from the Oscar winner that he says unlocked the whole thing.