A sequel to "Notting Hill" was planned, but Julia Roberts turned down the idea.
British screenwriter and director Richard Curtis shared that he once attempted to create a sequel to "Notting Hill," but ultimately abandoned the idea because actress Julia Roberts hated it, reports UNN citing NME.
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The romantic comedy from 1999 tells the story of famous actress Anna Scott (Roberts), who falls in love with the awkward bookstore owner William Thacker (Hugh Grant) in Notting Hill. However, the attention from paparazzi complicates their relationship.
While promoting his new animated film for Netflix, "It’s Christmas," Curtis revealed that Roberts was not a fan of the sequel's script, in which her character Scott divorces Thacker.
When asked if he would like to make sequels to his past films, he told IndieWire: "I tried to do one with Notting Hill, where they were going to get divorced, and Julia [Roberts] thought it was a really bad idea."
Earlier this month, Grant also criticized his character in the film, calling him "disgusting."
He stated: "Every time I change channels at home after a few drinks and that theme pops up, I just think: 'Why does my character have no balls?' There’s a scene in the film where she’s in my house, and the paparazzi come to the front door and ring the bell, and I think I just let her walk past me and open the door. It’s terrible."
He continued: "I’ve never had a girlfriend, or now a wife, who wouldn’t say: 'What the hell are you doing? Why didn’t you stop her? What’s wrong with you?' And I have no answer for that - it was written that way. And I think he’s really disgusting."
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Despite this, the film was a massive success, grossing over $360 million at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing British films of all time.
Along with nominations for the Golden Globe and BAFTA, it won the Audience Award for the Most Popular Film in 2000.