Julia Roberts is one of Hollywood's most renowned actresses of all time. As a multi-faceted, talented actress, Roberts became notorious for her romantic-comedy roles, which propelled her into international stardom, as her charisma and mega-watt smile became part of her public persona.
Roberts then expanded her acting repertoire into dramatic, action, independent, and thriller roles. In 2000, Roberts won an Academy Award for her role as Erin Brokovich in the eponymous movie, which cemented her trajectory as an A-list leading actress.
Among Robert's most well-known films besides Erin Brokovich are her roles in romantic comedies such as Pretty Woman (1990), Notting Hill (1999), Runaway Bride (1999), and Eat Pray Love (2010). Undoubtedly, one of Roberts' most well-known, beloved, and iconic works was as food critic Julianne "Jules" Potter in My Best Friend's Wedding in 1997.
My Best Friend's Wedding still resonates with audiences
In the movie, Julianne is a talented, outgoing, and cynical writer who doesn't believe in long-term romantic relationships, but has maintained a lasting friendship with her best friend, Michael O'Neal (played by Dermot Mulroney). Julianne reveals to her other friend and editor, George Downes (portrayed by Rupert Everett), that Michael and she promised each other they would get married if they were still single at 28. Due to this, Julianne feels calm about her prospects as Michael is her safety net.
However, Julianne's world is turned upside down when Michael reveals to her that he's getting married to Kimmy Porter (played by Cameron Diaz), who is much younger, richer, and funnier than he is. Still, Michael is so besotted, he's willing to overlook their differences and commit to Kimmy. It's not until that moment that Julianne realises she's been in love with Michael the whole time, and she plans to hijack the wedding and steal her best friend back.
While Roberts' character was viewed as selfish and somewhat childish, Roberts' nuanced portrayal still resonated with audiences, as she was seen as the person who, despite her wrong choices and despicable actions, people couldn't help but root for Julianne to succeed. While the film had a bittersweet and closed ending, almost thirty years later and in a shocking turn of events, My Best Friend's Wedding is getting a sequel.
My Best Friend's Wedding is getting a surprising sequel
According to Variety, writer and director Celine Song has been hired to write the sequel's screenplay, who is better known for her work in films such as Materialists and Past Lives. Also, in an exclusive interview with the New York Post, Mulroney revealed there were early talks about the project, and that lawyers were talking to each other.
Mulroney commented on how he reminisces about the incredible project that was filming My Best Friend's Wedding in Chicago during the nineties, and how glad he was about how close he and Roberts still were. Mulroney added:
"I've returned to Chicago so many times, and [the memories from that movie] just keeps coming back to me. It has been a big part of my life."
The original film was highly successful, both with critics and audiences, and gathered almost 300 million dollars at the worldwide box office. The movie also inspired a stage musical adaptation that was delayed several times due to the COVID pandemic, but finally premiered in 2024. Two international film versions were also inspired by My Best Friend's Wedding: a Chinese version released in 2016, and a Mexican one in 2019.
As previously mentioned, the sequel is barely in the beginning stages, so there's no release date yet. Hopefully, we'll get to see all the original cast back once more as it would be fascinating to see how all these characters are, what they've been up to over the last three decades, and how their journeys can still interconnect after all these years.