Emma Thompson will not do Love Actually 2 without Alan Rickman: 'It would be too sad'

Emma Thompson will not be doing Love Actually 2, the mini-sequel to the romantic comedy which is being filmed for Red Nose Day.

Writer-director Richard Curtis did consider writing in a storyline for Karen without Harry, but ultimately decided that it wouldn't be right.

"Richard wrote to me and said, 'Darling, we can't write anything for you because of Alan', and I said, 'no of course, it would be sad, too sad,'" Emma Thompson told the Press Association.

"It's too soon. It's absolutely right because it's supposed to be for Comic Relief – but there isn't much comic relief in the loss of our dear friend really, only just over a year ago."

"We thought and thought but it just seemed wrong... to revisit the wonderful fun characters of Bill Nighy and Hugh Grant and Liam Neeson and all of that, that's fantastic – but obviously what would he Richard Curtis have done?"

"It was absolutely the right decision."

The 10-minute mini sequel will be broadcast as part of Red Nose Day UK, on 24 March.

Check out the first photos released from filming here!

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