Hollywood royalty Anne Hathaway and rising British star Nicholas Galitzine have united for The Idea of You, a new romcom that has the internet in a frenzy. The reason? Its links to pop superstar Harry Styles.
But while the former One Direction singer has made a mark on the film industry with roles in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, thriller Don’t Worry Darling, and period drama My Policeman, he’s not appearing in the movie.
Instead, The Idea of You borrows from Styles’s own story, with a lead character who is barely distinguishable from the record-breaking singer.
The Idea of You is an adaptation of a novel by author Robinne Lee, a book that started out as online fan-fiction.
Here’s all you need to know about a romcom sure to spark boyband-like pandemonium.
What is the movie based on?
The Idea of You follows Solène (Anne Hathaway), a single parent in her forties who has given up on love. Then, she has a chance encounter with a pop superstar two decades younger and, well, maybe not.
That pop heart-throb is Hayes Campbell (Red, White & Royal Blue’s Galitzine). He’s the lead singer of boyband called August Moon, an outfit with more than a passing resemblance to One Direction.
The pair meet backstage at Coachella and before you know it, Hayes is onstage dedicating a soppy love song to the woman he met just minutes before. Don’t come for the deep emotions, people.
What follows is a whirlwind, globe-trotting romance, but the pressures of dating a superstar with a 20-year age gap soon pile up, as Solène finds herself in the eye of a media storm. One tabloid headline brands her a ‘cougar’.
Odd on that the two star-crossed lovers still manage to ride off into the sunset. But hey, if the formula ain’t broke…
Will there be a sequel to The Idea of You?
Nothing is confirmed yet, but judging by the reaction to the trailer alone, this could be a hot new property for Prime Video, the streamer on which it’s launching in April.
Plus, think of the potential sequels… We could see Hayes Campbell break-up with boyband August Moon for a solo album and then the threequel will be an emotional reunion for a world tour.
Is it actually about Harry Styles?
Officially no, but everything from the character’s name, career and tattoos suggest more than a passing similarity to the pop superstar.
Author Robinne Lee has revealed that it was a picture of Styles that helped kickstart the idea for the character (although she also drew inspiration from Prince Harry and Eddie Redmayne).
Lee has since downplayed comparisons between Hayes and Harry but said it was ‘completely fair’ that people would make the connection. ‘If you’re going to create a twentysomething pop star, you may want to start with a good head of hair and dimples, because why not?’, she told GoodReads.
*screaming* at how they didn’t even try to hide the fact that the idea of you is about harry styles pic.twitter.com/fDPwoeaGzT
— lauren garafano✨ (@laurengarafano) March 6, 2024
However, Styles’s fans have found more similarities between Harry and Hayes. Not only does Styles have a history of dating older women, but fans have noticed identical stances, similar tattoos and – in a further ‘meta’ moment – the music for the fictional group in the movie is produced by actual One Direction songwriters and producers.
the first one pic.twitter.com/5QOdTg8cwN
— ari (@happilyariii) March 6, 2024
Is there a trailer?
Yes, and you can check it out below to relive your own teenage pop star crush.
Who is in the cast?
It’s a savvy move to pair up a bona fide movie star and one of Hollywood’s fastest rising stars, with Hathaway and Galitzine taking on the lead roles of Solène and Hayes.
Galitzine is currently starring opposite Julianne Moore in the period drama Mary & George, and previously appeared in LGBTQ+ romcom Red, White & Royal Blue.
Hathaway, of course, has a CV boasting Les Misérables, Interstellar, The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries and many others.
Co-starring with the pair are Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfeld, Jordan Aaron Hall, Jaiden Anthony, Raymond Cham, Vik White and Dakota Adan.
The Idea of You is directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick).
Is there a soundtrack album?
Yes! August Moon – the fictional boyband in the movie – have already released their debut single, with more to follow on the movie’s release date.
‘Dance Before We Walk’ is written and produced by pop songwriters Carl Falk and Savan Kotecha, with the pair previously working with the actual One Direction on tracks like ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ and ‘Live While We’re Young’.
When is The Idea of You released and how can I watch it?
The movie lands globally on Prime Video on May 2, following a world premiere at the SXSW Festival on March 16.
Fans of Galitzine can also catch several of the rising star’s other movies on Prime Video, with Bottoms, Handsome Devil, Cinderella, and Red, White & Royal Blue, all available on the streamer.
What other movies were based on fan-fiction stories?
The 50 Shades of Grey book series that spawned the infamous film franchise was based on fanfiction that author E.L. James had posted on the internet. Banned for its explicit content, it was the author’s decision to publish via her own website and the rest, as they say, is BDSM-inspired history.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones has its roots in Harry Potter fanfiction, with author Cassandra Clare having previously published an online fan fiction series called ‘The Draco Trilogy’, with several lines appearing to be directly lifted from the Potter fan stories into the Mortal Instruments book series.