Both ‘Love Actually’ Movies in Order (& a List of Movies Based on It)
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‘Love Actually’ is one of the most popular romantic Christmas movies ever made. Released in 2003, it has become a holiday classic for many. The film explores love, from romantic relationships to family bonds and friendships. It’s a feel-good movie with a star-studded cast and a lot of heartwarming moments, and this is why a lot of people revisit it during the holidays. Today, we’re going to list all ‘Love Actually’ movies, including the movies inspired by it.
Both ‘Love Actually’ movies in release date order
When the first ‘Love Actually’ movie was released, it surprisingly received mixed reviews. It was praised for its cast, which included some of the grandest names in Hollywood, such as Hugh Grant, the king of rom-coms, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, etc. But it was its too-cheesy storyline that came off as a bit disjointed that received the “other” side of the mixed reviews. Now, the cast has gathered 14 years later for an additional movie; here’s the release date order.
- ‘Love Actually’ (2003)
- ‘Red Nose Day Actually’ (2017)
Are both ‘Love Actually’ movies connected? What’s the best way to watch them in order?
Well, ‘Red Nose Day Actually’ wasn’t a legitimate movie as much as it was a short 15-minute promo, but yes, both movies are connected since the second “movie” references what took place in the first movie. As far as the watch order, the best is to follow the release date.
‘Love Actually’ in chronological order
As far as chronological order goes, ‘Red Nose Day Actually’ is set 13 years after the events of the first movie.
1. ‘Love Actually’ (2003)
The film opens up with a touching scene that takes place at Heathrow Airport’s arrivals gate during the holidays. The movie then follows several interconnected love stories, including Billy Mack’s attempt to make a Christmas hit, Mark’s unrequited love for Juliet, and Jamie’s relationship with Portuguese housekeeper Aurélia. Harry, happily married to Karen, faces temptation from his secretary Mia, which leads to one of the most heartbreaking revelations on Christmas Eve. The newly elected Prime Minister, David, finds himself in an awkward situation with Natalie, a junior staff member.
While all of these stories are partly heartbreaking and partly wholesome, by the end of the movie, everything neatly wraps up, but of course, if for some reason you never watched the movie, we won’t spoil it for you.
2. ‘Red Nose Day Actually’ (2017)
‘Red Nose Day Actually’ was a short promo film for the Red Nose Day fundraiser but it eventually revealed what the couples are up to 13 years later since it chronologically and in real life takes place 13 years after the release of the first movie.
Where to watch the above-mentioned movies?
‘Love Actually’ can be streamed on AMC+ and Netflix, while ‘Red Nose Day Actually’ can be found on YouTube since naturally you won’t find it on the streaming services.
Will there be more ‘Love Actually’ movies?
Rumors about the potential sequel to ‘Love Actually’ have swirled for years now, but honestly, nothing turned out to be true at this point. It’s been 20 years since the original movie was released and with each passing year, the chances are getting slimmer and slimmer that it’s going to get a sequel, a reboot perhaps but a sequel, highly doubt it. In any case, we’re going to update you as soon as something is known.
Movies based on ‘Love Actually’
And while ‘Love Actually’ is quite a short “franchise” if you’re having an itch for movies with a premise similar to that one, there are plenty of movies that were directly inspired by the movie with almost exactly the same premise but naturally different characters and most of these productions aren’t American as well. So let’s see what to watch after you go through ‘Love Actually’ this holiday season.
1. ‘Love Is All’ (2007)
‘Love is All’ is a Dutch movie directly inspired by ‘Love Actually’ interconnected storylines with different characters of course. The movie follows Jan, Klaasje, Dennis, Simone, Ted, Victor, Kees, Kiki, and Prince Valentine and their overly complicated but connected holiday love stories.
2. ‘Salute to Love’ (2007)
Ah, Bollywood had its hand in the ‘Love Actually’ adaptation as well. The movie follows six couples but from a unique Indian perspective. It deals with arranged marriages, infidelity, strong women, the relationships between Hindus and Muslims, and of course, all of the stories are connected in one way or another.
3. ‘Letters to Santa’ (2011)
This is a Polish version of ‘Love Actually.’ Doris, a single woman in her 30s, holds onto the belief that true love awaits her in the big city. Mikołaj, a romantic man known for seduction on air, faces a different reality in his personal life. Wladi’s charm and carefree attitude make him elusive to women, while Melchior, an arrogant admirer of feminine beauty, questions if his narcissistic tendencies can sustain a lasting relationship.
The intertwined stories also involve Szczepan, a busy psychologist facing a personal crisis, and his energetic wife Karina, who struggles with her husband’s work-life balance. Małgorzata, a cold and steadfast radio director, unexpectedly reveals a deep need for love. Wojciech, seemingly the perfect husband, discovers hidden longings beyond the routine. Betty, captivating and mysterious, changes her life for a man named Kazik. Larwa, Doris’s unmarried friend, provides support with her twisted sense of humor.
4. ‘It All Began When I Met You’ (2013)
This Japanese movie has exactly the same premise as ‘Love Actually’ with different names behind the six stories and, of course, from the perspective of Japanese culture. The movie was made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Tokyo Station, and the train station itself is a massive part of the story, which is meant to showcase just how much places such as these have an effect on our “destinies.”
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