Julia Roberts reunites with Notting Hill director Richard Curtis 26 years on from smash-hit romcom after refusing to star in sequel

26 years after the initial release of the romantic comedy “Notting Hill,” starring Julia Roberts, and directed by Richard Curtis, they have once again joined forces over the weekend.

At present, the actress (who is 57 years old) is in the United Kingdom, having been invited to Scarlett Curtis’ 30th birthday celebration, which belongs to Richard.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I couldn’t contain my excitement and was overwhelmed with affection as I offered a peek into the joyous moments of my recent celebrations.

In an Instagram story video, Julia and Richard were spotted chatting happily, appearing to reconnect.

In a cozy corner of the room, the longtime companions harmonized with a heartwarming chorus of Carole King’s timeless hit “You’ve Got a Friend.

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In addition, Julia took advantage of her trip to London to participate in this year’s Soccer Aid event. The well-known actress was observed at Old Trafford during the charitable soccer game.

After its release, Notting Hill earned a remarkable sum of approximately $368 million at the box office and garnered positive reviews from critics.

As a lifestyle aficionado, I am thrilled to share that a recent film I watched secured not one, but three nods at the 57th Golden Globe Awards! One of these recognitions was for the exceptional performance of Julia Roberts in her role as Anna Scott, placing her in contention for Best Actress.

Yet, even though it was highly successful, Julia declined to reprise her role for the proposed sequel due to the storyline she found unappealing.

Or more colloquially: Despite its huge success, Julia turned down the chance to return for the sequel because of the storyline she didn’t like.

In a straightforward manner, it can be rephrased as: Richard, aged 68, detailed the plot point where his on-screen character was going to part ways with the character portrayed by Hugh Grant (William Thacker).

‘I tried doing one with Notting Hill where they were going to get divorced,’ Richard said. 

‘Julia [Roberts] thought that was a very poor idea.’

Previously, when queried if he’d consider remaking any of his past films, the director of “About Time” mentioned that he felt content with his contributions to Red Nose Day and Comic Relief, where he penned short follow-ups to “Love Actually.

He said to IndieWire, “I’m not convinced about that,” or simply, “That doesn’t sit right with me.” He added that the short follow-ups to Love Actually were sufficient for him.

Earlier, Julia had shared her initial hesitations about accepting the lead role in the romantic comedy.

The Academy Award-winning actress shared with Vogue that she found it challenging to portray the role of a temperamental Hollywood starlet, known for her fiery outbursts.

To Curtis, during an interview for Vogue, Julia confessed that one of the most challenging tasks she’s faced was starring in Notting Hill as a film actress. She felt incredibly uneasy about it!

It seems we’ve discussed this role numerous times, yet I nearly turned it down as it felt incredibly uncomfortable. Honestly, I was unsure of how to portray that character.

In addition to finding fault with the character’s portrayal, Roberts also expressed reservations about her costume during filming.

She said that she ‘loathed’ being dressed as a glamorous movie star.

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2025-06-16 02:33