Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney gave a new life to the romantic comedy with the box office hit “Anyone But You,” which grossed $219 million worldwide. And now the film has also made a splash on its streaming debut on Netflix, becoming the number 1 movie on the platform only a day after its release (April 23), according to FlixPatrol.
“Anyone But You,” as other movies, is loosely based on a William Shakespeare’s play, specifically Much Ado About Nothing. Directed by Will Gluck, who co-wrote it with Ilana Wolpert, the film also stars Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Griffiths.
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The romantic comedy follows Powell and Sweeney as Ben and Bea, two sworn rivals after a date gone wrong, who will have to learn to get along for the sake of the wedding between her sister and his best friend. The film has joined other great movies following the enemies-to-lovers trope, and it worked, despite mixed reviews from critics.
‘Anyone But You,’ the secret of the success of a rom-com
While on social media fans have claimed for more rom-coms, a genre that had its golden age during the 1990s and the 2000s, big Hollywood studios have been slow to catch the wave. Streamers such as Netflix and Prime Video have been behind some of the most celebrated rom-coms of the past few years, as well as more indie titles.
Actually, one of Powell’s big breakthroughs came thanks to Netflix’s ‘Set It Up’ (2018), in which he starred alongside Zoey Deutch as two assistants who set up their bosses to get a break from work. Meanwhile, this is Sweeney’s first experience with the genre, but she knew how to sell it.
The actress, who also served as executive producer, has revealed that she was very involved in the marketing strategy of the film, including leaning in into those rumors of her and Powell having a real-life affair.
“That’s people wanting what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very smart,” Powell told The New York Times.
However, the real triumph of “Anyone But You” was connecting with the audience through a good mix of nostalgia (Natasha Bedingfield’s song “Unwritten” is played throughout the movie), as well as embracing what everyone wants from the genre: true romance and big laughs.
