Did "Serendipity" change much on its journey from script to screen?

It changed a little. When I read the script I didn't think I was going to enjoy it, but then it slowly seduced me and I felt I could really do something with it. I just felt it needed to have its tongue more in its cheek. Thank God for the casting because I think with a premise like this which is quite flimsy you need two intelligent actors in the leads.

Were John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale attached already?

I cast them both. There are very few people like Cusack, I don't think anyone does this sort of role like him. Kate was the very first person I auditioned for the part of Sara. Originally she was written as an American but I didn't want her to hide behind an accent, which can happen.

Was there a fight to persuade the studio that she was right for the role?

Not really. They agreed that making her English would make her more special and more enigmatic. They went with it, and it was fine. And Kate is very British. I describe her as a girl who went to a finishing school in Bolton. She's a lady but she can be rude and crude with the best of them!

Was it particularly important for you to get back onto a film so quickly after your bruising experience on "Town & Country"?

Definitely. That was one of the reasons I did "Serendipity", and it turned out to be one of the easiest films I've ever made, and some of the most fun I've ever had on set. I made a conscious decision to have fun on this one. We can talk and intellectualise about what goes into making a good romantic comedy all we want. But on the day the director is like the host at a long running cocktail party, making sure everyone's fine and happy, and keeping that fizz and froth going. That's hopefully what we did here.

"Serendipity" opens in UK cinemas on Friday 26th December 2001.