Love Actually was very nearly a supernatural film - and it explains a lot
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Whether you love it or loathe it, Love Actually has established itself as a Christmas classic that will be on many festive watch lists for years to come. However, fans may not realise that it was initially destined to be a very different film. The 2003 flick directed by Richard Curtis, follows eight central couples whose lives intertwine in various ways in the days leading up to Christmas. Its glittering cast includes Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister, Emma Thompson and the late Alan Rickman as spouses Karen and Harry, and Andrew Lincoln as Mark, a man deeply in love with his best friend's new wife Juliet (Kieran Knightley).
The romantic comedy, which was recently voted the UK's favourite feel-good film, was actually supposed to feature a supernatural being that had special powers and could alter the lives of the characters. It might sound unbelievable, but look a little bit closer and you can see hints of a supernatural storyline peppered throughout the film.
So who was the supernatural being supposed to be? Love Actually script editor Emma Freud took to X, formerly Twitter, to share the truth about one of the film's most beloved characters. Rowan Atkinson portrays jewellery salesman Rufus, who viewers meet when Harry (Rickman) sees a gold necklace he wants to buy for his secretary while out on a shopping trip with his wife. Rufus offers to gift wrap the item, before embarking on a painstaking wrapping process which includes putting it in a box, inside a bag and adding cinnamon sticks.
