Love Actually: 20 Years Later reunion special coming to ABC

Hugh Grant in Love Actually.
Hugh Grant is just one of the stars returning to discuss the iconic Christmas film. (Image credit: ITV)

Christmas has come early for Love Actually fans, as several key cast members from the beloved holiday movie are coming together for a 20th-anniversary special which is coming to TV screens later this month. 

The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later is set to air on ABC on Tuesday, November 29 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT and will be made available to stream on Hulu after it has aired. (A UK air date has not been confirmed at the time of writing).

The special will be hosted by Diane Sawyer and five stars from the hit film: Hugh Grant (famed for that iconic dance routine from the film as the Prime Minister) plus Emma Thompson (Karen), Bill Nighy (Billy Mack), Laura Linney (Sarah) and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (who played Sam, Liam Neeson's stepson, in the film).

ABC has released a teaser for the special (which you can find below) which gives us a taste of the interviews with the stars and some of the secrets that they spill. In it, Diane Sawyer asks "Love Actually is" to the members of the cast. Whilst we don't learn many of their responses in the teaser, Hugh Grant's initial reaction might shock you!

The teaser also shows that the special will feature chats with the film's writer and director, Richard Curtis, as well as Olivia Olson, who performed a show-stopping rendition of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" in the film.

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Richard Curtis's Christmas romantic comedy was released in November 2003 and follows a variety of interconnected love stories as they unravel in London at Christmas time and featured a huge range of big names. Aside from those who are set to return for Love Actually: 20 Years Later, it also featured Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Martine McCutcheon, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rowan Atkinson and Claudia Schiffer, among others.

Many of the stars reprised their roles in a 2017 sequel called Red Nose Day Actually. This short film was produced as part of the titular charity fundraising event and saw Richard Curtis and a number of the original stars reprising their roles and capping off many of the stories in the original film. 

The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later airs on ABC on Tuesday, November 29 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT and will be streaming on Hulu after broadcast.

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin is a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produces a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. 

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.