12 Things You Never Knew About 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' on its 25th Anniversary
"Four Weddings and a Funeral" is one of the most important comedies of the '90s, helping to spark a rom-com craze in Hollywood and turning star Hugh Grant into an international sex symbol. As the film celebrates its 25th anniversary, here are some fun behind-the-scenes facts you might not know.
1. Writer Richard Curtis conceived the film after attending over 60 weddings in the span of a decade. He based it on his own experience being propositioned by a fellow wedding guest.
2. Curtis was initially against the idea of casting Hugh Grant as Charles, fearing he was too handsome for the part.
3. Curtis campaigned for Alan Rickman to star as Charles, but eventually it was decided Rickman was too old for the part.
4. Grant earned a fee of about $100,000, well above the rest of the cast. However, Andie MacDowell wound up with a much larger payday, taking home about $2 million thanks to her decision to take percentage points rather than an upfront fee.
5.Marisa Tomei, Brooke Shields and Sarah Jessica Parker were all considered for the role of Carrie. Parker, naturally, went on to play a very different Carrie on "Sex and the City".
6. The Chinese version of the film lists Rowan Atkinson's character as "Mr. Bean," even though he's obviously not playing that comedy icon here.
7. The film's budget was so tight that most of the extras were required to bring their own wedding attire.
8.Kristin Scott Thomas dubbed over her own lines for the French language version.
9. Despite its penny-pinching budget, "Four Weddings and a Funeral" went on to become the highest-grossing British film in history (at the time).
10. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" became the first of five romantic comedies to pair Hugh Grant with writer Richard Curtis. It was followed by "Notting Hill," "Love Actually" and the first two "Bridget Jones" movies.
11. Hulu is currently developing an anthology series based on the film, with Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton writing and producing. Curtis is serving as executive producer.
12. There's a sequel... sort of. A short film called "One Red Nose Day and a Wedding" will be released on Red Nose Day 2019 (March 15 in the UK and May 23 in the US) and reunites director Mike Newell with most of the film's surviving cast.