Hugh Grant admits he was 'clearly wrong' for thinking 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' would be a 'giant turkey'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hugh Grant initially anticipated that the movie 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' would fail. The British romantic comedy went on to win numerous Oscar nominations and became a big smash at the box office in the United States. With a roughly $4.4 million budget, the 1994 movie ended up making $245.7 million in total revenue.
Sam Neill writes in his most recent memoir, 'Did I Ever Told You This?' that when the shooting was done, Grant did not have high expectations for the project. Neill wrote, "I asked him what he'd been up to. 'Oh,' he said, 'a piece of complete crap called Four Weddings and a Funeral,'" as per People.
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'Did I Ever Tell You This?'
Legendary actor Sam Neill tells his family, friend, and movie memories in this remarkable book with delightful irreverence, empathy, and grace. When writing about Grant, Neill wrote, "I had dinner in London with Hugh Grant soon after 'Sirens' (1994). I asked him what he'd been up to. 'Oh,' he said, 'a piece of complete crap called Four Weddings and a Funeral. [Director] Mike Newell wouldn't know comedy if he tripped over it. Disaster. Absolute and utter rubbish.'"
Neill continued writing, "Well, that rubbish helped to make him exactly the kind of star I guess Universal meant back then." Neill claimed that Grant's career was aided in part by the success of 'Four Weddings', which was directed by Mike Newell from a screenplay by Richard Curtis. Neill and Grant co-starred in 'Sirens' (1994) and 'Restoration' (1995).
Grant, 62, agreed that Neill's opinion is generally accurate. He stated in a statement to IndieWire, "I love Sam and miss him, and it’s true that we were all sure we’d made a giant turkey till the film had its first previews. I was clearly wrong and the film changed my life. It was the beginning of a happy friendship with Richard Curtis, and I’ve always had the greatest respect for Mike Newell who taught me things I use to this day."
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'Notting Hill', 'Love Actually', and more
Grant's career was radically transformed by 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', and he went on to work with writer Richard Curtis on a number of hugely popular romantic comedies, such as 'Notting Hill' (1999), 'Love Actually' (2003), 'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001), and 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' (2004).
Grant even made an appearance at the Oscars this year to present with his co-star Andie MacDowell in a small-scale reunion. Back in 2019, Grant, MacDowell, and the rest of the cast of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' got back together to film a 12-minute follow-up to the timeless rom-com that represented a fifth wedding that occurs 25 years after the original film. The short was produced to raise money for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day that year.
'Four Weddings and a Funeral' was nominated for Best Film and Best Screenplay at the 67th Academy Awards in 1995, however, 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Forrest Gump' ultimately won both categories.