Bridget Jones 3: Filming expect to start on Bridget Jones's Baby later this year

Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth are in negotiations to return for another movie

Bridget Jones 3 is in the works and she's going to have a baby

Bridget Jones is having a baby and we're going to hear all about it, probably in far too much detail, in a new movie.

The third film about the popular 30-something is set to begin shooting this autumn with lead stars Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth reported to be on board as Bridget and her husband Mark Darcy.

Sharon Maguire is returning as director after her success with Bridget Jones's Diary in 2001 and is believed to have had long meetings with the actors. Hugh Grant has confirmed that he will not be back for another turn as the deceptively charming Daniel Cleaver.

Creator Helen Fielding has based the script for Bridget Jones's Baby on some of her columns from eight years ago, instead of her latest book Mad About the Boy. This explains why Firth is involved as his character dies in the novel.

Author David Nicholls (One Day and Us) helped Fielding with the initial screenplay and other writers are said to have become involved further down the line.

Details of the planned storyline remain under wraps but there's going to be a mini Bridget and Mark in the house!

Eric Fellman of Working Title told the Daily Mail: "We are keen to try to make [Bridget Jones 3]ater this year but there's still nothing definite yet. If the script and all our deals with the actors fall into place then this one will be up and running."

The iconic big pants in Bridget Jones's Diary

Firth said last year that he would be interested in filming another Bridget Jones movie so long as it had "somewhere to go".

"Back at the time I said that a third one should only happen if we were telling a story about having moved into a different generation when we were all beginning to deteriorate a little bit," he told The Independent. "I think we might be ready for that moment!"