There's A 'Love Actually' Reunion Coming — Just Not In The Way You Think

They say good things come to those who wait. And while the rest of 2018 may feel like a heaping pile of garbage some days due to the current political climate, this week finally brought some good news. Emma Thompson has officially joined the new Men in Black spinoff, giving fans the Love Actually reunion we've all been waiting for. The Hollywood Reporter, which was first to break the news on this latest casting announcement, revealed that Thompson will be reprising her role from Men in Black 3 playing Agent O, the chief of the official Men in Black organization. Because obviously when you think of who you'd want protecting the Earth from alien attacks, Thompson is the first (and really only) person who comes to mind.

Production is set to kick off in London sometime this month and, alongside Thompson, will star the likes of Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Kumail Nanjiani, and — wait for it — Liam Neeson. Fans of early 2000s movies will know that Thompson and Neeson starred in Love Actually together back in 2003, playing best friends Daniel and Karen. (Though some have always wondered if that friendship could ever lead to more.) Now, the dynamic duo will be sharing the screen once more for this new Men in Black project, and it's enough to make your Love Actually heart actually soar.

As of now, very few details about the MIB spinoff plot have been released, so it's difficult to say how much time (if any) Thompson and Neeson will spend on-screen together. Perhaps their characters won't interact at all, taking their story arcs off in completely different directions. But let's not think about such depressing possibilities. It's just as likely that they'll have many scenes together and showcase the chemistry we know they have with one another. Currently, the project is expected to hit theaters on June 14, 2019, according to Deadline, so as details about the film continue to trickle out, hopefully fans will get a better idea of what to expect. In the meantime, let's all just take a moment to relish in this Love Actually reunion while we can.

Granted, this isn't the first time members of the Love Actually cast have come together since the film's release. In fact, back in 2017, several members of the cast returned to the Holiday classic to make a Love Actually sequel in honor of Red Nose Day, and it was pretty much just as amazing as you would expect it to be. Mark was still showing up at Juliet's door with signs and a beard that no one really liked; Jamie and Aurelia were just as in love as ever with three kids together (and another one on the way); Prime Minister David was still busting some serious moves in his down time; and Daniel and Sam were still hanging out with each other on a bench, discussing the joys and frustrations of love.

Sadly, Thompson wasn't able to be involved in the sequel since it would've been impossible to include her without mentioning the late Alan Rickman, who played her husband. “Richard [Curtis] wrote to me and said, ‘Darling, I can’t write anything for you ’cause of Alan,’ and I said, ‘No, of course, of course you can’t,'” Thompson explained in an interview with Reuters at the U.K. premiere of Disney’s live-action film Beauty and the Beast. “It would be sad, too sad. It’s too soon. You know, it’s absolutely right.”

But while Thompson may not have been able to reunite with Neeson then, it's great to know that she'll be able to do so now — and with aliens thrown into the mix as an added bonus. Sign us up!