'Shock' reveal

Jude Law reveals secret of Christmas movie hit

What a shock for fans of the cult film "Love Needs No Holidays"! On a BBC2 radio show, actor Jude Law revealed a detail that completely freaked out presenter Zoe Ball and her colleague, comedian Kerry Godliman. They kept asking, "What, what, what?"

But what did Law say? When asked if the charming cottage from the 2006 Christmas classic - starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and himself - could be booked as an Airbnb today, the actor dropped the bombshell: "The cottage doesn't exist!"

Hollywood instead of a cottage
The shock was perfect. But Law didn't stop at this revelation. He patiently explained the surprising truth behind the movie set: "The director (Nancy Meyers) is a bit of a perfectionist. She looked everywhere for that perfect chocolate house - but found nothing that matched her vision." And then the punchline: "So she just rented a field, drew a sketch and hired someone to build it."

BBC2 shared the really lovely video of the "shock" reveal on Instagram. You can watch it here:

So the cottage that's got fans around the world in the Christmas spirit is nothing more than a cinematic illusion - a mock-up! Which, unlike the two British radio hosts, most people probably assumed. 

Winter idyll from the retort
Law went on to explain to the two how this is done on supposedly idyllic film sets: "We filmed in England in winter. But every time I walk through that door, the scene ends - and the interior shots were then filmed three months later in Los Angeles." So in summer temperatures ...