Julia Roberts shot down plans for a follow-up to the beloved 1999 rom-com - saving it from joining these painful and unnecessary sequels
Notting Hill 2? Not if Julia Roberts has anything to do with it. It has been revealed that the actress shot down plans for a sequel to the beloved 1999 romcom in which she plays a Hollywood star who falls for Hugh Grant's bumbling bookshop owner.
The idea for another Notting Hill was floated by its writer, Richard Curtis, who wanted to undo the happy-ever-after conclusion of the original. "I tried doing [a sequel] with Notting Hill," said Curtis, "where they were going to get divorced".
The plans were dashed by Roberts, who told Curtis it was a "very poor idea". How right she was - and what a shame nobody similarly put a stop to the many unnecessary sequels that have assailed the eyeballs of movie-goers throughout the history of Hollywood. Here are some of the more painful examples. To paraphrase noted philosopher Ronan Keating, these movies would have said it best if they made nothing at all.
Toy Story 5 (2026)
Pencilled in for a July 2026 release, the fifth Toy Story already has a claim to the title of most redundant sequel ever. The story of Woody, Buzz and the gang has already been wrapped up twice - in Toy Stories 3 and 4. But Pixar and its owner, Disney, were never going to look a cash cow in the mouth, so a sequel is in production, to be directed by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton and with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen back as Woody and Buzz. Franchise grave-robbing doesn't come any more shameless - why can't they leave Toy Story to rest in peace?
