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Back in 1994, a little indie film from a screenplay from a British writer who had attracted attention for his work on the BBC series Blackadder and Mr. Bean burst on the scene in North America, eventually garnering an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. That movie was Four Weddings and a Funeral, which helped to establish Hugh Grant as a very viable romantic leading man and scripter Richard Curtis as a bonafide talent.
Since then, Curtis has written three other highly successful British comedies in Notting Hill, Bean and Bridget Jones's Diary, and now will make the leap to directing in the upcoming ensemble piece Love Actually. This comedy will tell ten separate stories about love, but despite their singularity, all of them will be intermingled somehow, leading to a final turning point on Christmas Eve.
Once again, Curtis will be working with Grant, who will be playing a brand new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. A single man, he happens to fall in love with the girl who brings him tea on his very first day on the job. Meanwhile, Colin Firth will play a man flees to France after discovering his girlfriend is having an affair. While there, he falls in love with a woman who doesn't speak English (and naturally, he doesn't speak French).
Other members of the amazing cast include Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, and Rowan Atkinson. Up-and-comers Elisha Cuthbert ("24") and Keira Knightley (Bend It Like Beckham, Pirates of the Caribbean) will also be featured.
Filmed on a budget of approximately $50 million, Love Actually has every likelihood of being a worldwide hit, not to mention the possibility of being an awards contender at the end of the year. So far, Curtis' work has been nothing short of exceptional, so if he is able to translate his writing abilities to his work as a director, Love Actually has all the earmarks of being both a critical and financial success. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Sneaks in major markets are scheduled to begin November 8, with a gradual rollout to follow over the next several weeks. (Jennifer Turnock/BOP)
The specifics on the rollout for the film are as follows: sneaks in 27 locations on Saturday, November 8th; opens in 170 top markets on November 14th; additional sneak previews in 800 markets November 22nd; national release on November 26th. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Now the initial limited release has been pushed up a week to November 7. No word on whether they will push the sneaks up a week too, or whether they will forego sneaks entirely in favor of the earlier limited release. (Jennifer Turnock/BOP)
And now what should be the final word on this fickle, fickle release strategy: sneaks will be held on the weekend of November 1, followed by a limited release in 500 to 600 theaters the weekend of November 7. It will then expand to wide release the weekend of the 14th. Just get on with it already and stop teasing us, dammit. (Jennifer Turnock/BOP)
Vital statistics for Love Actually
Main Cast Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson
Supporting Cast Rowan Atkinson, Elisha Cuthbert, Keira Knightley, Denise Richards, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, January Jones
Director Richard Curtis
Screenwriter Richard Curtis
Distributor Universal
Trailer Click Here for Trailer
Official Site http://www.loveactually.com/
Rating R
Running Time 135 minutes
Screen Count 576
Awards Awards page for Love Actually
Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture
Comparison films for Love Actually
Adjusted Opening
Adj PSA
Total BO
Adjusted Total
Notting Hill 5/28/99 22.13 26.37 2745 8062.00 9204.6 116.09 138.34 4.19
Two Weeks Notice 12/20/02 14.40 14.97 2755 5227.00 5227.0 93.35 97.05 6.48
Bean 11/7/97 12.73 16.72 1948 6535.00 8257.7 45.31 59.52 3.01
Bridget Jones's Diary 4/13/01 10.73 11.45 1611 6662.00 6838.9 71.50 76.31 6.66
About a Boy 5/17/02 8.56 8.89 1207 7090.00 7090.0 40.57 42.18 4.74
Four Weddings and a Funeral 4/15/94 4.16 6.14 721 5770.00 8202.5 52.72 77.91 10.30
Return to November 2003 Release Schedule
Return to Release Schedule