Bridget Jones star looks unrecognisable in trailer for fourth film

Bridget Jones has returned with a bang, with the much-anticipated trailer for the fourth film being released on Tuesday.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy sees Renee Zellweger's iconic singleton widowed with two children four years after the death of husband Mark, played by Colin Firth.

And in typical Bridget fashion, she finds herself in the middle of a three-way battle for her affections, between boytoy Roxster (Leo Woodall], PE teacher Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a returning Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant).

But coming over two decades since the first film, Bridget Jones's Diary, was released in 2001, some of the stars could be seen rocking noticeably different looks in the new romcom - her good friend, Tom. 

Other famous faces returning in the fourth movie include Emma Thompson as Doctor Rawlings and Jim Broadbent and  Gemma Jones as Bridget's parents.

While once again playing her pals - Sarah Solemani, Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson and James Callis will also be making appearances in the flick.

A scene in the trailer sees Bridget being encouraged to get back on the horse by her friends after self-imposing a four-year sex ban in the years following Mark's death. 

She can be seen having drinks in a bar with her long-standing trio of best friends, who have appeared in all of the franchise films - Shazzer, Tom and Jude.

But viewers couldn't help but notice that Tom looked very different from how he appeared in the first three films, swapping his short hairdo for long flowing locks.

The clip saw Sally's Shazzer telling a shocked Bridget: 'You just have to get laid', as  Tom backs her up, adding: 'Shaz is right'. 

The first Bridget Jones film marked actor James' feature film debut, playing Tom, a 1980s one-hit-wonder, who was continuing to live off his fame.

After played the gay best friend every woman dreams of, James' career took off - into space.

The 53-year-old went on to play Dr. Gaius Baltar in American TV series Battlestar Galactica, which attracted a cult following and ran for five seasons.

But once the series finished in 2009, his career has been arguably lower profile, going on to have small roles in Midsomer Murders, Arrow, Key & Peele, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Rick and Morty.

Following bigger parts in Castlevania and Blood & Treasure, he is currently starring in acclaimed British thriller, Slow Horses.

Within the star-studded cast featuring the likes of Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden and Jonathan Pryce, James plays Claude Whelan, the newly promoted Director General of MI5, or 'First Desk'.

While outside of his career, James tied the knot with his wife Neha in December 1998, and has three children Joshua, 21, Sacha, 19, and Anika, 15.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is based on the book of the same name by creator Helen Fielding.

The most recent film, 2016's Bridget Jones' Baby, saw Bridget shocked when she discovered she was pregnant. 

It ended with her marrying Mark, the high-flying lawyer who she'd had on and off feelings for across the three movies, and revealed that he was the father to her baby.

However, in Mad About The Boy, Mark tragically later dies while working abroad as a human rights lawyer, leaving Bridget a widow and the book follows her as she battles motherhood alone.

She also quits her job working in television to do the school run, with comical scenes expected as she struggles to keep up with the Yummy Mummies.

The trailer sees Bridget take her two children to a trip to the park, where they get themselves stuck in a tree. 

But to the rescue are two dashing men in the form of The White Lotus star's Roxster and Chiwetel's Mr Wallaker.

As the trailer unravels, Bridget's romance with Roxster heats up and the pair have 'mindblowing sex' after a date. 

However Bridget is left confused as flirtatious meetings with Mr Wallaker increase and she eventually stumbles into a barn to find him half-naked. 

Bridget Jones fans can also rejoice as one particularly sexy scene sees Roxster jump into a pool in front of her to rescue a little dog - in a moment mirroring the iconic Mr Darcy Pride and Prejudice look. 

The movie was officially confirmed this year, with the script being penned by author Helen, Abi Morgan and Dan Mazer, and Michael Morris as director.

Helen has also been spotted at the filming as she prepares to say goodbye to the much-loved character. 

A movie source told The Mail On Sunday in February: 'Bridget is back and is about to take over London. Filming is being mapped out already...

'All of the pre- production is in place. There was some uncertainty about whether it would get off the ground, but the movie is coming...

'Renee is excited about bringing Bridget back. She adores the character so much. Bridget Jones fever is expected to sweep across London this spring.'

When asked about a fourth movie instalment, author Helen previously told Radio Times: 'Every film that gets made is a miracle...

'I think it's really difficult to make films and to make them happen and to make them good and we want it to be really good. But I really hope so. I'd love to see it on the screen.'

There were rumours last year the movie had been axed due to the US actors' strikes, but sources said those claims were 'nonsense'.

The first film, Bridget Jones's Diary, came out in 2001 and grossed £222 million at the box office – more than ten times what it cost to make.