Undoubtedly the king of British rom-com, Richard Curtis has enjoyed a long and successful career, writing or helming some of the country’s most-loved films.

In addition to his Oscars and Bafta nominations/wins, he can probably add a ‘films played most at Christmas’ award to his illustrious list.

But the time has come, according to Curtis at least, to down tools and enjoy retirement. There will be no more writing/directing for this guy. "I waited a while in order to write About Time.

This probably will be the last film I will direct," he explained to Empire. So why is he quitting? "I don't know. Just a feeling... just a feeling. It feels like a summing-up to me. We'll see how things turn out."

Screenplays for Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones' Diary and Notting Hill, including work for TV with Dawn French's The Vicar of Dibley, precluded his debut movie as a director, Love Actually. "It took me a long time to be able to be wise or experienced enough to dare to direct," he explained.

Check out the About Time Trailer

"Many of the comedies I like the most, from Woody Allen's films to Monty Python films, have been directed by the people who wrote them. So it was quite a logical thing, but I wasn't ready to do it at that point. And when I reached that point, I was ready to do it."

Before he goes, though, About Time - starring Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Domhnall Gleeson and Tom Hollander – is set to hit cinemas. It’s a sci-fi-cum-rom-com, with querky British relationships and time travel. Bit of a risky last film, but we applaud the gutsy exit. Good luck Rich.

Richard CurtisRichard Curtis leaves behind a strong body of work