Here's Why Julia Roberts Turned Down aNotting HillSequel, According to Writer Richard Curtis

Mar. 15, 2025

Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in “Notting Hill” (1999).Photo:Getty

Getty

Notting Hillwriter Richard Curtis once floated an idea for a sequel to the beloved romance.

In an interview withIndieWirepublished Wednesday, Nov. 27, the screenwriter, 68, revealed thatJulia Robertsturned down his concept for doing a reunion follow-up to the 1999 movie due to the plot.

Speaking about doing sequels for his past movies, Curtis told the outlet, “I tried doing one withNotting Hillwhere they were going to get divorced, and Julia [Roberts] thought that was a very poor idea.” (Heorchestrated a short-formLove Actuallysequelfor the charitable Red Nose Day back in 2017.)

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Julia Roberts on Jan. 29, 2024.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Curtis’ revelation comes after Grant, 64, recently described hischaracter William as “despicable.” “Whenever I’m flicking the channels at home after a few drinks and this comes up, I just think, ‘Why doesn’t my character have any balls?’ " the actor said in aVanity Fairvideo interview.

He added, “There’s a scene in this film where she’s in my house and the paps come to the front door and ring the bell, and I think I just let her go past me and open the door, and that’s awful.”

“I’ve never had a girlfriend, or indeed,now wife, who hasn’t said, ‘Why the hell didn’t you stop her? What’s wrong with you?’ ” he said. “And I don’t really have an answer to that. It was how it was written and I think he’s despicable, really.”

Hugh Grant as William and Julia Roberts as Anna in ‘Notting Hill’.Getty

Meanwhile, screenwriter Curtis — who also worked onFour Weddings and a Funeral(1994),Bridget Jones’s Diary(2001)andLove Actually(2003) —received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 15th Governors Awards in Los Angeles earlier this month. While presenting the award, Grant revealed the funnymoments they had during filming.

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“You would think, given that most of his films were about love, that he would have been or had a directorial style of gentle, soft and fluffy. You would have been quite wrong,” Grant joked.

“Forever etched on my heart are some of the notes he gave me including, ‘And now do do a funny one,’ and ‘Don’t worry, we can cut around you.’ "

Notting Hillis currently streaming on Peacock.

source: people.com