Acclaimed romantic comedy scribe Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones, Love Actually) has confirmed that he tried to do a Notting Hill sequel but was unfortunately turned down by Oscar winner Julia Roberts. In the original 1999 movie, Roberts portrayed an American movie star who falls in love with a British bookstore owner.
Why did Julia Roberts turned down the Notting Hill sequel?
During a recent interview, Curtis shared the reason why Roberts ultimately decided to turn down his planned Notting Hill sequel. He revealed that the acclaimed actress wasn’t really a fan of his idea for the sequel’s story.
“I tried doing one with Notting Hill where they were going to get divorced and Julia [Roberts] thought that was a very poor idea,” Curtis said (via IndieWire).
Notting Hill was directed by Roger Mitchell and was based on a screenplay written by Curtis. The film also starred Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, Gina McKee, James Dreyfus, Tim McInnerny, Richard McCabe, and more. For Roberts and Grant’s performances in the 1999 movie, they earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. It currently holds a Certified Fresh rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“William Thacker is a London bookstore owner whose humdrum existence is thrown into romantic turmoil when famous American actress Anna Scott appears in his shop,” reads the synopsis. “A chance encounter over spilled orange juice leads to a kiss that blossoms into a full-blown affair. As the average bloke and glamorous movie star draw closer and closer together, they struggle to reconcile their radically different lifestyles in the name of love.”