Films Like Love Actually To Stream This Christmas

Picture this: you settle down in front of the telly, snuggle up under a blanket and reach for the remote. You have a deep urge to rewatch Love Actually, your favourite Christmas film. But wait, you’ve already done that twice this year – can you really justify a third? If only there was a Love Actually 2…

Sound familiar? Fans of Richard Curtis’ 2003 festive rom com have been begging for a sequel since, well, 2003. Starring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, Bill Nighy and more across 10 intertwined stories, it’s tricky to draw all of these Hollywood heavyweights together for a reprise. So can we ever expect to see Love Actually 2?

Bill Nighy in Love Actually. (Universal Studios)

Will There Ever Be A Love Actually 2?

Sorry to be the bearers of bad news: no, it doesn’t seem like there will ever be a Love Actually sequel. That said, in 2017, creator Richard Curtis told Empire he had considered it. ‘I did toy with the idea of doing a proper Love Actually sequel,’ he said. ‘But I wonder what I think now about love, because I’ve experienced a lot of deaths and illness. I think therefore I would make a sadder film, and I’m not sure that would be great.’

After celebrating its 20th anniversary last year, new rumours regarding a sequel spiralled once again, this time after Universal Pictures filed a trademark application to create a new film and TV series. But a sequel would be incredibly difficult to piece together. For one, the A-list cast’s busy schedules would be incredibly tricky to align, while the sad passing of Alan Rickman in 2016 would leave a hole in the film. Meanwhile, Curtis wasn’t too keen on the process. ‘We thought Love Actually was a disaster for months while we were trying to edit it,’ Curtis told Radio Times earlier this year. ‘So, I always look back on it and think, “I can’t believe we got away with it!”.’

‘I don’t watch Love Actually very often,’ Curtis said in a different interview with Radio Times. ‘And when you do watch your old movies, it’s funny how they’re like just a very expensive diary. So I’d watch it and think “Oh my god, we ran out of time that day, and Emma Thompson ticked me off for the fact she didn’t know the names of her own children”, and stuff like that.’ The writer added he thinks the continued success of Love Actually is ‘just a strange bit of luck’.

In recent years, perennial Love Actually has garnered some criticism, which Curtis has also addressed. ‘Thank God, society is changing,’ he said in the US documentary, The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later. ‘My film, in some moments, is bound to feel, you know, out of date. I mean […] the lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid.’ So why the lasting appeal? He thinks it’s down to the film’s heartwarming nature. ‘Good deeds inside families, and good deeds inside communities,’ he added. ‘Every day has the potential, in its simplicity, to be gorgeous.’

Hugh Grant in Love Actually. (Universal Studios)

The Secret Love Actually Sequel

The media loves to bandy around clickbait headlines about a so-called Love Actually sequel, but what they’re actually referring to is a 17-minute long ‘sequel’ filmed in aid of British charity Comic Relief. Founded by comedian Lenny Henry along with Love Actually creator Richard Curtis back in 1985, this high-profile charity hosts a huge bi-annual telethon to raise money, featuring high-profile celebrities, films, TV shows and more – and in 2017, this finally included Love Actually.

Who stars? A good array of the original cast, though naturally not everyone was available. Andrew Lincoln returns, as does Hugh Grant giving us another dance around Number 10. Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Chiqetel Ejiofor, Kiera Knightly, Martine McCutcheon, Billy Nighy and Rowan Atkinson all returned, too.

Andrew Lincoln as Mark in Love Actually. (Universal Studios)

Where Can I Stream Love Actually?

Love Actually is available to stream on Now this Christmas. A Now Cinema membership starts from £9.99 per month. Alternatively, Love Actually can be rented on Apple TV, Prime Video, the Sky Store and more.

Films Like Love Actually To Stream This Christmas

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