Richard Curtis reveals why he doesn’t often rewatch Love Actually
The Christmas classic turns 20 this year.
A new Christmas film written by Richard Curtis has just arrived on Sky Cinema – with Genie serving as a modern adaptation of his own 1991 TV movie Bernard and the Genie, which starred Alan Cumming and Lenny Henry.
But this year also marks the 20-year anniversary of Curtis's most enduring contribution to the Christmas film canon: Love Actually.
So, when RadioTimes.com spoke exclusively to the prolific writer about his latest film, we couldn't help but ask how he looks back on that Yuletide classic – and whether he often revisits it himself.
"I don't watch Love Actually very often," he replied. "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.
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"But so it’s always quite sweet. And when I watch the Genie movie, I'm kind of trying hard to focus on the fact that it's Bernard and the Genie but I'm also seeing Paapa [Essiedu] and Melissa [McCarthy] having a good time in a room!"
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He added that he considered the continued success of Love Actually to be "just a strange bit of luck", but admitted that the idea of rewatchability is one of the things that appeals to him about making Christmas films.
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"Rewatchability is a gift that... you know, sometimes you do work that's only relevant at that moment. But the shock of Love Actually is that it keeps popping up year after year!"
And he continued: "I hope that people will be watching Genie when I'm long gone!"
Genie is now available on Sky Cinema and NOW, while Love Actually is also available on NOW. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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