Julia Roberts Rejected A Sequel To $363M Rom-Com Because It Was “A Poor Idea”

Julia Roberts turned down the chance to make a sequel to her $363 million ’90s rom-com due to disliking the proposed storyline. Considered one of the greatest and most bankable stars of modern Hollywood, Roberts made her breakthrough with roles in movies including Mystic Pizza and Steel Magnolias, before shooting to global prominence with her first leading role opposite Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. The movie was a box office hit, grossing $434 million globally, and earned Roberts the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, catapulting her to superstardom.

With a glittering career, Roberts became one of the most bankable stars of the ’90s and ’00s, with notable leading roles in movies including Ocean’s Eleven, Runaway Bride, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. She also gave an Academy Award-winning performance in the true story adaptation Erin Brockovich. Roberts was named the highest-paid actress in the world on several occasions, and her movies have collectively grossed $3.9 billion. No stranger to sequels following her role in the Oceans franchise, Roberts had the opportunity to return for a follow-up to one of her biggest ’90s hits, but rejected the chance to return.

Roberts Turned Down A Notting Hill Sequel

The Star Didn’t Like The Story Idea

Written by Richard Curtis, directed by Roger Miller, and co-starring British actor Hugh Grant, Notting Hill released in May 1999 to critical and commercial success, grossing $363 million globally. Though a sequel never materialized, Curtis revealed in an interview with IndieWire that an idea was pitched for one, but Roberts rejected it. Check out the Love Actually director’s comments below when asked if he would consider future sequels to any of his films:

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.

As Curtis’ comments suggest, Roberts would have needed to sign off on any sequel, as her star power would have played an essential role in getting the movie off the ground. Furthermore, the character of Anna is so integral to the story that it would feel impossible to make the movie without her involvement. Widely regarded as one of Roberts and Grant’s best movies, Notting Hill was a success due to its smart script, fish-out-of-water narrative, and iconic British humor, and is regarded as something of a ’90s classic. A sequel could have cemented that legacy even further.

Our Take On A Possible Notting Hill Sequel

It Feels Unlikely, But Never Say Never

At this stage, a sequel to Notting Hill would feel incredibly unlikely, and the ship may have sailed on that particular idea after Roberts’ rejection years ago. However, nothing can be guaranteed in Hollywood, and the sequels to decades-old movies have proven to have genuine legs, with movies like Top Gun: Maverick prime examples. A sequel showing Anna and Will’s life together decades later could work very well, and Grant and Roberts are still prominent enough names that it could work. However, Curtis’s comments don’t suggest a Notting Hill sequel will ever materialize.

Source: IndieWire

Starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, Notting Hill is a romantic comedy that tells the story of a charming British bookseller who falls in love with an American movie star. Released in 1999, the romantic comedy written by Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually screenwriter Richard Curtis was a critical and box office success.

Director

Roger Michell

Release Date

May 13, 1999

Studio(s)

Universal Pictures

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

Writers

Roger Michell

Runtime

124minutes

Budget

$42 million

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