Here's how Hulu's adaptation of Four Weddings And A Funeral differs from the classic original. Richard Curtis is so associated with British rom-coms that many assume he directed Four Weddings And A Funeral, but it was instead helmed by Mike Newell while Curtis provided the screenplay. The movie was a worldwide smash thanks to its mix of comedy and drama, with even its tie-in single "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet becoming a chart-topping success.
Four Weddings And A Funeral made the career of star Hugh Grant, who lent his foppish charms to plenty of future romantic comedies like Two Weeks Notice. It also made Richard Curtis the go-to name in feelgood British comedy, which includes directing Christmas favorite Love Actually. He also co-wrote the screenplays for the first two entries in the Bridget Jones franchise.
Naturally, the concept of Four Weddings And A Funeral didn't really lend itself to sequels, but 2019 proved to be a big year for fans. To celebrate the movie's 25th anniversary, most of the cast reunited for charity special One Red Nose Day And A Wedding. It was also the year Hulu's take on the film arrived, which is a ten-part miniseries co-created by Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton. The show isn't a sequel to the movie, however, and instead takes the formula to tell its own tale of love, death and friendship.
So what are the major differences between Hulu's Four Weddings And A Funeral and the movie? For one, the central group of friends is made up of a group of American college friends who head to London for a wedding, when all hell breaks loose. Replacing Hugh Grant as the lead is Nathalie Emmanuel (Game Of Thrones) as political speechwriter Maya, who has a meet-cute with Nikesh Patel's Kash at the airport - who turns out to be the fiancee of her best friend Ainsley (Rebecca Rittenhouse). Rounding out the friends are Brandon Mychal Smith as Craig and John Reynolds' Duffy.
The casting of this take on Four Weddings And A Funeral is noticeably more diverse than its 1994 predecessor, and while the characters are different, the broad strokes of the plot are similiar, especially with its focus on a group of friends. Maya's friend Duffy is secretly in love with her - like Kristen Scott Thomas' Fiona was with Grant's Charles - while the groom admitting he doesn't want to go through with the ceremony happens at the first wedding, not the last. Original star Andie MacDowell makes a cameo appearance as Ainsley's rich mother, in a character that's quite a departure from Carrie.
Four Weddings And A Funeral is ultimately quite different from the film, which caused the Hulu show to be met with a mixed response. That said, it's fronted by a great cast and while it might be based on a famous movie, that doesn't mean its predictable.