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.

Now streaming on Peacock, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” catches up with Bridget Jones as a mother of two and, sadly, a widow. Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) died four years earlier on a humanitarian mission in the Sudan. Don’t worry though, he still pops in on the film in small ways.

As Bridget gets used to her new normal, we once again find her caught between two men — Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver isn’t one of them, but don’t worry, he’s back too — and the woman...