Julia Roberts rejected the Notting Hill 2 idea because she found it poor - Did you know?
19 days ago | 5 Views
The obsession with the culture of sequels, prequels, and franchises has seeped so deeply into our pop culture at this point that a film with no promise of a part two surprises us even more than those with follow-ups planned. But that wasn't the case over half a decade ago when sequels were rare, and franchises even rarer. Did you know a classic from the '90s starring Julia Roberts almost had a sequel? The writer and director were planning to make it, but thanks to Julia rejecting the idea that was proposed, the sequel never materialized. Yes, we are talking about one of Julia Roberts’ most discussed movies, Notting Hill. You read that right—a sequel was being planned for the movie, but the rest, as you know, is history.
Julia Roberts Rejected Notting Hill Sequel
Released in 1999, Notting Hill stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant as Anna Scott and Will Thacker. The rom-com is one of the most loved films of that decade and the decades that followed. The film was written by Richard Curtis, one of the most revered writers. While fans have obsessed over Notting Hill for years, they never really asked for a sequel. But as per Curtis’ confession, it was the makers who wanted to give them one and even had an idea for it. Read on to know why the sequel ultimately didn’t get made.
Directed by Roger Michell, Notting Hill stars Hugh Grant as a bookshop owner and Julia Roberts as a Hollywood actress. It was a critical and commercial success in 1999, grossing over $363 million globally. So, it’s no surprise the makers considered capitalizing on the momentum. However, Julia Roberts didn’t like the proposed idea and rejected it.
Richard Curtis on Notting Hill 2
In an interview with IndieWire, Curtis said, “I don’t think so. I actually did four Red Nose Days and Comic Relief. We did those mini-sequels to Love Actually and those satisfied me. I tried doing one with Notting Hill where they were going to get divorced, and Julia [Roberts] thought that was a very poor idea.”
It’s clear that Notting Hill is nothing without Julia Roberts, and replacing her would have been unthinkable. Another factor was her star power, which was at its peak during that phase. The fact that the makers didn’t pursue Notting Hill 2 beyond Roberts’ rejection makes complete sense. However, nothing about Hugh Grant’s reaction to the idea of a sequel has been revealed.
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