Love Actually cast to reunite for Comic Relief film

Romantics rejoice - the cast of Love Actually is reuniting for a short sequel to raise money for Comic Relief.

Red Nose Day Actually will be written by Richard Curtis and star Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley and Colin Firth.

Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson will also appear in the film, which sets out to discover what the original characters are doing in 2017.

The 10-minute sequel will be shown on 24 March on BBC One as part of the Red Nose Day appeal.

It comes 14 years after Love Actually was released.

Love Actually scriptwriter Emma Freud, Curtis's partner, has asked for ideas for the plot, saying the follow-up is still being written.

Many have suggested a tribute to the late Alan Rickman, who starred in the original.

Another suggestion tweeted to Freud involved Atkinson's character, who was seen in the original as a shop assistant.

But Freud's reply? "Not gonna happen...".

And one fan wanted a happy ending for Emma Thompson's character, after the hard time she had in the first film.

Curtis said: "I would never have dreamt of writing a sequel to Love Actually, but I thought it might be fun to do 10 minutes to see what everyone is now up to.

"We hope to make something that'll be fun - very much in the spirit of the original film and of Red Nose Day."

The writer said he was "delighted" that so many of the original cast could take part, adding: "It'll certainly be a nostalgic moment getting back together."

Martine McCutcheon, Andrew Lincoln, Lucia Moniz, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Olivia Olson will also reprise their original roles.

The original film, set at Christmas time, followed an extensive cast of characters, whose lives intertwined in various ways.

Among them was Hugh Grant's character, David - the prime minister at the time - who was seen getting together with Natalie, played by McCutcheon, at the end of the original film.

Sam (played by Game of Thrones star Brodie-Sangster, who was 13 at the time), was seen chasing Joanna, played by Olivia Olson, through the airport at the end of the last film to declare his love.

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