Studiocanal and Universal Pictures are re-releasing Richard Curtis’ holiday classic “Love Actually” worldwide this year in a new 4K restoration.
The Working Title film, whose all-star cast includes Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy and Liam Neeson, will also be released on home video and digitally in the U.S. and France.
First released during the 2003 holiday season, “Love Actually” went on to become a major worldwide hit and, in the 20 years since its release, a beloved modern Christmas classic.
The romantic comedy, which intertwines the stories of eight couples during a frantic month before Christmas in London, also features Laura Linney, Martin Freeman, Andrew Lincoln, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Rodrigo Santoro, Rowan Atkinson, Billy Bob Thornton and the late Alan Rickman.
Studiocanal has restored “Love Actually” in 4K from the 35mm original negative, accessed via Universal Pictures and scanned at Illuminate in Los Angeles. The 4K scans were digitally restored by Silver Salt Restoration in London. The film was color-graded at Goldcrest London by colorist Adam Glassman and supervised by Curtis, who worked together to create the first HDR version of the film in Dolby Vision.
Beginning in select global markets this November, the home entertainment re-release will include a new 30-minute featurette, filmed in London, of the cast and filmmakers discussing the film, and reminiscing about their experiences during its production.
In addition, the theatrical re-release in the U.S. and Canada will include a new 10-minute introduction highlighting the film’s most iconic moments.
“I’m really excited about this new version of the film; it’s never looked or sounded better,” Curtis said. “And, although I’m slightly shocked by how old I’ve got, I loved the featurette, which is full of new thoughts and memories about the film from all the people who made it.”
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, co-chairmen of Working Title, said in statement: “As Working Title approaches its40th anniversary year, it’s exciting for us to acknowledge our wonderful long-term relationship with the creative genius Richard Curtis.We are so proud of all the films we have made with him and adore how they still resonate with audiences worldwide. ‘Love Actually’ is a huge milestone in our history and reminds us of how very grateful we are of our continued relationship with Richard. We hope this new remastered version of the film will continue to bring many people together in joy and love this holiday season.”
“Love Actually” hits theaters in the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands in late November, with further theatrical releases in December in the U.S., Canada, France, Austria, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and South Korea. It’s also heading soon to screens in China.
The new 4K restoration will be released on home video in the U.S. on Nov. 21 and in France on Dec. 6.
