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Richard Curtis has revealed he thought Love Actually was a disaster after he finished filming.
The director, 68, confessed that he was worried about the success of the film and almost gave up as he was editing it, believing it would never work.
The Four Weddings and a Funeral creator told the Radio Times: 'We thought Love Actually was a disaster for months while we were trying to edit it.'
The star director added: 'I only thought of setting Love Actually at Christmas halfway through the writing process. I was thinking, 'How can I squeeze all these stories to end at the same time?'
Richard also confessed that he finds it amusing now that people have such strong feelings towards one of his most famous films.
He told the publication that during his latest film, the animated Netflix offering That Christmas, the children complain about having to watch a 'boring Christmas film' and it turns out to be Love Actually.
Richard Curtis, 68, has revealed he thought Love Actually was a disaster after he finished filming and was worried all his films had the same plot
The director confessed that he was worried about the success of the film and almost gave up as he was editing it, believing it would never work
Off the back of Richard's latest project, he explained that he realised all the films he makes are the same including Notting Hill, starring Julia Roberts (pictured)
Speaking of the filming he said: 'I assumed they'd take a clip from some stiff American movie of the 1940s or 50s like Miracle on 34th Street.
'So, I turn up on the day and it's the kids watching, as they say, the 'boring Christmas movie', and they'd stuck in Love Actually.'
Off the back of Richard's latest project, he explained that he realised all the films he makes are the same and was surprised when he noticed the similarities between some of his major movies.
He told the magazine that he was somewhat disappointed with himself after noticing that the plots of Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral shared so much in common.
He said: 'I remember watching Notting Hill and thinking, 'Oh, it's exactly the same as Four Weddings!'.
'I'd been working on it for two years and I didn't realise, but it was a bunch of friends, there was an American girl, and it ended happily.'
Richard's confession comes after he revealed it was a 'joy' to be making a film without one of his starring men, Hugh Grant.
Despite his remark, the star wished Hugh well and said there was no bad blood between the pair.
The director and actor duo have worked on the likes of Love Actually, Four Weddings and Funeral and Bridget Jones together.
Richard's also confessed it was a 'joy' to be making a film without one of his starring men, Hugh Grant (pictured in Four Weddings and a Funeral with Kristen Scott-Thomas)
Richard also admitted that he finds it amusing now that people have such strong feelings towards one of his most famous films - Love Actually
Richard and Hugh have worked on the likes of Love Actually, Four Weddings and Funeral and Bridget Jones together
And they've just wrapped on filming the fourth installment Bridget Jones: Made About the Boy.
But speaking to the Radio Times, Richard said he didn't ever want to work with Hugh Grant, 64, because he was 'too posh and handsome'.
He said: 'I'm just taking advantage of how many great actors there are out there.
'But casting has always been a revelation from the start of my film career.
'When we did Four Weddings and a Funeral, I said, 'Hugh Grant? Over my dead body,' I thought he was too posh and too handsome for my movies.
'When he auditioned, he was much better than everybody else and I still fought against it. Then the first time we screened the movie I realised I was wrong; it turned out that he was the most important thing in the film.
'Now it's such a joy to make a movie that doesn't have him in it. Though he would have made a good villain.'
Four Weddings and A Funeral has been considered one of the best British romcoms of all time – leading to Grant's status as one of the foremost leading men of the 1990s.
Richard has previously spoken about he hadn't wanted to work with Hugh Grant, 64, because he was 'too posh and handsome'
But despite objecting he later went on to cast him in his hit film Love Actually (BIll Nighy pictured in the film)
Richard is now launching his latest film That Christmas, a family Netflix cartoon which stars Brian Cox, Bill Nighy and Jodie Whittaker (pictured
Richard is the brains behind a new Christmas movie called That Christmas after suggesting for the festive period needed a rebrand
The film went on to make $245,700,832 worldwide and was nominated for Best Film and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.
Earlier this month Hugh presented Richard with a Governors Award.
Whilst presenting, he said: 'You would think, given that most of his films were about love, that he would have been or had a directorial style of gentle, soft, and fluffy.
'You would have been quite wrong.
'Forever etched on my heart are some of the notes he gave me including, 'And now do do a funny one,' and 'Don't worry, we can cut around you'.
'The producer liked me and wanted me, and the money people wanted me.
'The only person who didn't want me and, in fact, took such an instant and violent dislike for me that he did everything in his power to stop me getting the part was the writer.
'It is this ar****** who we are honoured to honour tonight.'
Richard is now launching his latest film That Christmas, a family Netflix cartoon which stars Brian Cox, Bill Nighy and Jodie Whittaker.
He said it's been great to work on something different.
'I love the fact that this is a more diverse film,' he said. 'I liked the opportunity to work with the diverse acting cadre in this country. It's lovely to be able to have Guz Khan and Lolly Adefope.'
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