Four Weddings and a Funeral began airing today (Wednesday, July 31) on US streaming platform Hulu. Starring Game of Thrones actor Nathalie Emmanuel, alongside Nikesh Patel and Rebecca Rittenhouse, the series reimagines the story of the classic rom-com in a modern setting. Stars Patel and Rittenhouse exclusively spoke to Express.co.uk about how the limited series compares to the film adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral.
How does Four Weddings and a Funeral compare to the classic film?
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a brand-new series developed by Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton for Hulu.
The 10-part drama began airing on the streaming service today (Wednesday, July 31) with four episodes released to watch.
The show is based on the premise of Richard Curtis’ 1994 romantic comedy of the same name, which starred Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell and Kristin Scott Thomas.
The legacy left by the globally successful film was certainly felt by the stars of the new drama.
Although Nikesh Patel, who plays the romantic lead Kash in the television series revealed he only watched the film when he was cast for the TV series.
Patel told Express.co.uk: “I didn’t watch the film until I got the part.”
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEW SERIES?
He added: “I’m fully aware that as a phenomenon I would have been about nine or 10 when it came out and it was hugely successful, all of the actors in it have gone on to do amazing things but it just passed me by a little bit.
“But when I did sit down to watch it I was struck by why it is so popular and so beloved.”
This is a sentiment echoed by his co-star Rebecca Rittenhouse who stars as Kash’s girlfriend in the series, Ainsley Howard.
When asked whether she was a fan of the film, Rittenhouse replied “Obviously!”
However, while the show has the same name as the ‘90s film, the limited series actually follows a completely different narrative.
The mini-series follows Maya (played by Nathalie Emmanuel) as she travels to London for a wedding.
When she reconnects with her friends from college, Maya decides to put her life on hold and remain in the country.
And of course, there are four weddings and a funeral in the mini-series.
Patel added the fact it follows a completely different narrative was also one of the things that attracted him to starring in the series.
He said: “I was also excited about the fact that the show we were doing wasn’t trying to imitate it.
“It existed on its own terms. We’ve got 10 hours to tell our story and it feels like a very modern celebration of the rom-com in terms of the themes that it deals with.”
While the show does definitely have its own themes, the stars did add it had the blessing of rom-com legend Richard Curtis, who wrote the original screenplay of the film.
The writer served as an executive producer on the series and was involved from the early stages.
Rittenhouse and Patel described how exciting it was to step into the cast read-through and see Curtis and Kaling on the other side of the table.
“I remember we assembled for the cast read-through,” Patel described. “You look up and you see Mindy Kaling and Richard Curtis.
“What two guiding lights to have if you’re going to do this kind of project in terms of how well they know this world.”
Four Weddings and a Funeral is now streaming on Hulu with new episodes released on Wednesdays.