Writer Richard Curtis on why Julia Roberts rejected a 'Notting Hill' sequel: 'A very poor idea'
Universal Pictures
- Richard Curtis's idea for a second "Notting Hill" film was apparently shelved because of Julia Roberts.
- Roberts is said to have disliked his idea for a follow-up film with a divorce plot.
- "Julia thought that was a very poor idea," the "Love Actually" director told IndieWire.
The screenwriter behind the rom-com "Notting Hill" has opened up on why the classic movie has never got a sequel.
In an interview with IndieWire, Richard Curtis said that Julia Roberts was not a fan of his idea for a follow-up in which Roberts' and costar Hugh Grant's characters split up.
Asked if he would like to do any follow-ups to his past films, he said: "I tried doing one with 'Notting Hill' where they were going to get divorced, and Julia thought that was a very poor idea."
"I actually did four Red Nose Days and Comic Relief. We did those mini sequels to 'Love Actually,' and those satisfied me," he added.
A representative for Roberts did not respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.
In the 1999 film, Roberts plays a famous movie actor named Anna Scott.
Scott falls in love with William Thacker (played by Grant), the owner of a bookstore in the picturesque area of London from which the film takes its name.
Universal Pictures
While the paparazzi's fascination with Anna initially complicates their relationship, the film ends with the pair happily together and expecting a child.
When it was released in theaters over Memorial Day weekend in 1999, "Notting Hill" grossed around $21.8 million over three days, and $27.7 million over the long weekend, making it the biggest opening for a romantic comedy film at the time.
The movie, directed by the late Roger Michell, was nominated for best film in the comedy or musical genre at the Golden Globes, with Grant and Roberts also receiving individual nominations.
Curtis, whose new animated film "That Christmas" premieres on Netflix on December 4, suggested that even if Roberts was on board with a "Notting Hill" sequel, his focus was currently on branching out into new kinds of projects.
"I think oddly enough I'm keen at this stage in my career of doing new things as much as I can," he told IndieWire. "That's why it was great doing an animated film. I've made, I think, 17 films. It's quite hard for the 18th to be as different as this one is."