‘Notting Hill’ Writer Richard Curtis Reveals Why Julia Roberts Turned Down Sequel

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As a long-time fan of the charming romantic comedies that have graced our screens for decades, I must admit my heart skipped a beat when I heard about the potential sequel to “Notting Hill.” The thought of seeing Anna Scott and William Thacker navigate their love story again, this time with the added complications of divorce, was tantalizing.

The sequel for “Notting Hill” didn’t end up being produced for the cinema, and one reason given by screenwriter Richard Curtis was Julia Roberts.

As a devoted admirer, I recently learned from an interview with the writer behind my favorite 1999 romantic comedy (when promoting his new Netflix animated film, “That Christmas”) that Julia Roberts wasn’t particularly fond of the script for the sequel. In this storyline, her character Anna Scott was depicted as divorcing Hugh Grant’s character William Thacker.

When asked about revisiting his previous movies, Curtis responded, “I’m not sure, but I’ve already participated in four Red Nose Days and Comic Relief. We made some small sequels to Love Actually as part of those events, which were quite fulfilling for me.” Previously, the screenwriter brought together the cast of Love Actually for a short film that supports an annual charity event.

Curtis commented, “I had an idea for a movie set in Notting Hill where the characters would be getting divorced. However, Julia Roberts felt this concept wasn’t particularly good.

In Notting Hill, the story revolves around Anna Scott, a renowned actress, and William Thacker, a bookstore owner from this London district. Their romance blossoms, but the relentless attention of the paparazzi poses challenges to their developing relationship.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Roberts’ rep for comment.

Recently, Grant reflected on the 1999 movie during a chat with Vanity Fair’s “Scene Selection,” confessing that he finds his character William Thacker to be quite reprehensible.

He once remarked, ‘Why can’t my character show more courage?’ he said back then. In this movie, there’s a moment where he lets a woman pass him by to answer the door when paparazzi arrive. He felt that was incredibly weak.

Grant remarked, ‘No woman I’ve been with, be it a girlfriend or now my wife, hasn’t asked me, ‘Why on earth didn’t you intervene? What was wrong with you?” He continued, ‘I don’t have a good explanation for that – it’s just the way it was portrayed. And I find him utterly reprehensible, to be honest.’

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2024-11-28 03:24