If you’re a fan of British rom-coms with a star studded ensemble cast, chances are that you’ll be more than familiar with the work of Richard Curtis. Having gotten his start writing small screen comedies like Blackadder and Mr. Bean, his first feature film script saw him net an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay thanks to international smash hit Four Weddings and a Funeral, which earned $245 million at the box office on a $4 million budget.
He followed it up with sitcom spinoff Bean, which made more money from theaters in 1997 than Batman & Robin, Face/Off and Con Air, before watching Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant steer Notting Hill to $363 million, topped off by Bridget Jones’ Diary hauling in $282 million while landing Renee Zellweger an Oscar nod for Best Actress, which is an astonishing track record of success.
Curtis’ feature directorial debut Love Actually has long since become a staple of holiday viewing all across the world, which isn’t surprising when it’s the cinematic equivalent of comfort food. A stacked roster including Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Chiwitel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln, Martin Freeman and many more all show up across the multiple plot lines.
It was yet another major commercial success for Curtis, and was even shortlisted for a Golden Globe in the Best Picture – Musical or Comedy category. It might be six months too early, but Love Actually has been added to the Netflix library, and given its enduring popularity it would hardly be a shock were it to put a dent in the Top 10 most-watched list over the coming days and weeks as fans rush to watch it for the first, fifth, tenth or fiftieth time.
